Stuff Disease

We were driving in a car with some people we know

(a fairly unusual occurrence as at that time we didn't own a car 

and usually travelled alone by taxi)

and somehow the conversation got around to being "pack rats" and stuff disease. 

Sigred somewhat prides herself on not being subject 

(too hard) 

to "stuff disease". 

On the other hand....

Note:  

Sigred has verbally told this story several times:  

It's about taking care of a friend's place 

while the friend was away 

and noticing that the friend's kitchen cupboards 

were not stuffed.  

They were in fact quite neat and tidy and even 

(Sigred exclaims at this point) 

"they had space between the different items!"  

Our heroine...

(never before has Sigred noted that heroine 

and heroin are such close cousins 

{linguistically speaking})...

To Repeat:

 Our heroine Sigred explains herself:

"My parents were depression era teenagers 

and I grew up being imbued 

with a particular mindset 

summarized thus:
 My Grandpa had to hunt coyotes 

for the bounty on their tails 

for the few dollars 

it would bring in."

What that means is that Sigred's homes have always been stuffed with food.  Every cupboard, the fridge, (Sigred & Fred have recently purchased a freezer) and the freezer, not to mention the bilge on the boat, various not kitchen cupboards (i.e. bedroom cupboards) unused etc. have always been stuffed with food...

...just in case.

"Once, Fred & I got down to one can on the boat" Sigred further explained to her friends in the car.  "It only reinforced the mind-set" she told them trying to be somewhat self-deprecating.

The urge to buy 

a larger place, 

a new couch, 

a bigger TV, 

a showy car 

& 

a multitude of others things, 

does not reside 

in Sigred.

However....

She collected books 

until the boat taught her that they could be traded in 

[and now the web has provided]

AND she likes a new blouse just about every month,

(I'm a girl after all, Sigred explains) 

AND AGAIN she feels better 

(safer, comforted, bulwarked, imbued with a plan 

[just in case]) 

with her cupboards full of food.

Is that wrong? 

One of our companions in the car that day did not comment.  Not a word was received to Sigred's confession.  What this means is unknowable but one suspects the non-commenter had not had a similar event in their lives...

...OR

understood far too completely.

On the other hand, another of our companions on that car ride too admitted to a "pack rat" attitude regarding "supplies".

"define: pack rat" on Google produced: 

pack rat Noun
1. A ratlike rodent (Neotoma and other genera, family Muridae) that accumulates a mound of sticks and debris in the nest hole, native to North and Central America.
2. A person who saves unnecessary objects or hoards things.

Hmmm?

Ok...we were talking about food here and it ain't ever...

...unnecessary. 

Pack Rat Den