Rental mini-warehouses are spreading like a poison ivy rash. During our trip to New Hampshire earlier this month Paulette commented on several she spotted in the oddest locations: by the road, in the woods, near small country villages, etc. I had seen them around the city often enough, of course, and had never paid much attention. But glancing out the window of the train coming back from Boston I couldn't help but observe many more of them in neighborhoods along the tracks.

Pay your fee, bring your padlock, and stash your stuff in a 10x10x10 cubical coffin. For a surcharge you can get more room, climate control, alarms, and security guards. Your artifacts are safe.

Self Storage Locker said the sign on one business. What a perfect label! These are truly places for storing one's self — and "self" for us is now defined by material possessions. When the house is bulging, the basement impassable, the attic rafters sagging, the garage overflowing into the driveway, and the back yard full of sheds, then it's time to move on to lease more self storage space.

Reminds me of the Tracy Chapman song Mountains of Things. We're sitting on 'em....

TopicSociety - TopicLife - 2002-06-23

(correlates: StatusGenetics, DogWork, GoingSolo, ...)