Pride and Pitfall...of ownership

In the English language using the simple word "my" implies and expresses ownership....my house, my car, my dog. etc.  Claiming ownership gives us a feeling of security and meaning in life.   We go through life accumulating "my things" of which, in many cases, we take great pride in applying the word "my"…My House, My Job, My Car, My Children, My Husband, My Wife, etc.   In cases where we want to disassociate ourselves from ownership or express ownership belonging to someone else we use the word "your"....."he's your son"...."that's your car"..."It's your life".   Then there is the voluntary transfer of ownership -- "I'm giving my cloths to you....they are now yours".   And the case of involuntary transfer of ownership -- "he stole my money".  The more pride we have in "my thing" that is taken from us, the more devastation we feel about its loss.   "He took my old shirt...oh well I was going to give it to Good Will anyway" - or  "the SOB took my new car!" - or really really bad - "He/She mistreated my child".  Note:  by use of the word “my” we even believe we own our children.  

The pitfall to the pride of ownership is the fact we really own nothing and the pain of this reality.  Its only the elusion of ownership that brings us comfort, peace, security, and a sense of belonging.  Along with those emotional attributes comes the possibility of pain from loss or in many cases even sharing when we don’t choose to...."that's my food!".   The more pride of ownership we place on an object, person, or entity, the more pain we suffer with the loss of that object, person, or entity. 

We can remove the possibilities of pain from loss by fully embracing the truth that we own nothing and never apply the word "my" to any thing, person, or entity -- but then we lose a lot of the fun and fullness of life itself. 

Do we use the word "my" with pride? – or - cast it from the English language and suffer no pitfall of pain? 

Barnum Taylor  © 2007