A good friend of mine, that will remain nameless for the purposes of this article, lest I get in a lot of trouble, recently spent many days cleaning through years of accumulation to make room in her garage for a storage facility to house the sales material for her business. A few years ago, I too, moved my office into my home and found the experience one of massive shock.

You really dont know how much stuff you have in your life until you have to move or consolidate it. Every once in a while I think we all should go through a phase of simplification. This house cleaning phenomenon can apply to many areas of your life: relationships, animals, failed businesses, old shoes, hand-me-downs, old tools, cars, photos, etc.

In relationships its called baggage, in everything else its called junk.

I dont quite know where it all started, I mean, I didnt plan to have this much junk/baggage in my life, as Im sure my friend didnt either. We just accumulate it. Maybe we feel better surrounding ourselves with the new item/relationship of the moment, but when that moment has passed, all thats left is the item, or heartache. To quote B. B. King, all of a sudden: The thrill is gone.

Oddly, this scenario is repeated over and over during different phases of our lives. Why dont we get it in the first place? Or arent we meant to?

The process would be okay if it were out with the old and in with the new, but instead its in with the new and store the old. Have you noticed all of the public storage businesses cropping up like weeds everywhere? Maybe I need to look into purchasing their stock...hmm.

Well, anyway, as you may have surmised, the problem has to be one of philosophy.

With the two prevailing schools of philosophical thought theorizing that either the universe is controlling your every move through cause and effect (determinist theory) or that you have the ability to do pretty much as you wish (free will theory) leaves us in a bit of a conundrum, i.e., feel good about your accumulation of junk, because its out of your control to begin with and rent a big storage space, or, feel guilty about your excesses and frequently load up the van for a trip to Goodwill, ARC or St. Vincent de Paul.

In my way of thinking, a mixture of these philosophies might be just what the gods have in mind, which is to say, everything in moderation. A modicum of free will thrown in with a dose of determinist values and whala you have a happy human who's not being too controlled, and yet still has the freedom to gleefully clutter up the garage or their life.

Now, if this mass accumulation is the result of too much free will, more than likely the end result comes from boredom, stress or poor financial planning. If it were just a matter of decorating, re-arranging, re-modeling that would be fine, and we would see free will at work.

From the other point of view, Id hate to think that were under the controlling thumb of the gods, and they are just trying to satisfy their own need to splurge and we are the currency. There is nothing creative or fun in being used, is there? Could they really be that selfish? Nah.

The whole question of whether we humans actually have free will or we are quietly being led through life by the nose has haunted mankind for centuries. Free will has such attractiveness to it, and determinist seems so negative and underhanded that I cant help but feel we do have a combination of free will and outside control in our lives.

It would make sense that we learn important lessons based on our own decisions, and be controlled when it would make things turn out the way the gods want, right?

But, how will we ever experience the thrill of success or the anguish of failure if we never make a decision that either hurts or enhances our lives?

Another aspect to the flow of our lives is the fundamental need for change. I know many people who hate change, or at least thats what they tell me. But, down deep, I think that change makes life interesting.

Take for instance, changing homes, offices, mates, cars, clothes, toilet paper, or brands of dental floss; we all need to try new things in new ways. It is in this variety that we stay interested in daily life.

These kinds of change, and many more, bring me full circle in my free will debate. How much more mundane can a decision be than changing brands of toilet paper? So, how can the universe be involved in our every movement with the more pressing issues of famine, disasters and disease screaming for attention?

As I make changes in my life, like the recent one to return to college, can they be anything but my choice? Of course, they may fit in the overall scheme of future world events and maybe not. If not, was the choice purely mine? I hope so.

After all, Im just one of four billion or so humans on the planet, how important can my educational decisions be? Or when contemplating the next trip to Goodwill to assist in a personal cleansing, does the universe really care? Will we ever know? Maybe. Maybe not.

Any way that you look at it its fun to ponder.

Keith Renninson

Keith E. Renninson is a native of Colorado. After a tour of duty in Viet Nam, he returned home and spent 30 years as a financial planner and insurance agent. He was a two-term President of the Mile-Hi Association of Life Underwriters and four-term President of the Kipling Sun Homeowners Association. He is the Chairman of the 2006 Tour de Cure bicycle ride for the American Diabetes Association in Colorado. Keith is also the current Vice-President of COBRAS (Colorado Organization of Bicycle Racing Seniors).

In 1995, he self-published his first book, ?The Pain & Joy of Love: A Collection of Poetry, Black and White Photography and Short Stories.? In 2003, Keith was the Editor of the Arapahoe Community College Art and Literary Magazine ?The Progenitor,? and in 2004-2005 the Editor of the Arapahoe Observer newspaper.

During eight years of the 1990's, Keith wrote his column, "Philosophically Speaking" for the Downtown Denver News.

In August 2004, Keith's essay "Compassion at Death's Door" was published by The American Legion Magazine and received worldwide acclaim.

When neighbor Michael Conrad Kelley offered they work together on his manuscript ?Zooch the Pooch,? Keith was excited and honored to be involved in such a worthy project. An illustrated children's book and parenting tool, Zooch was published in November of 2005 and is available on their website or at Amazon.com.

Mike and Keith are also professional speakers presenting their inspirational talk & seminar "Seven Simple Steps to a More Fulfilling Life." They can be contacted directly for radio, TV and print interviews.

In December 2006, one of Keith's latest essays, "To Achieve Clarity in Life Make Meditation Part of Your Day" will appear in a new book "101 Ways to Improve Your Life" alongside notable authors such as Mark Victor Hansen of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" fame.

Keith formed Golden Years Videos, LLC with business partner Jeff Forman which produces exercise videos for senior citizens, and those unable to perform standing exercises. Always the exercise enthusiast Keith, wanted to provide a series of videos which would assist those in need of conditioning. You can see more about this at the Golden Years Videos website listed above.

In his leisure time, Keith studies philosophy, competes in American Cycling Association bicycle races around Colorado, loves to downhill ski, practices yoga, writes and climbs the Fourteener?s of Colorado?s Rockies.