If You Don't Use It, They Will Take It Away!

I have very deep affection for certain ideas but not, necessarily, for their execution. For example, I love the idea of that passionate kiss in the rain. Do I love the idea of being soaking wet while trying to look real pretty?
No.

I also love the idea of getting up around 10 AM on a Sunday and sitting around reading the New York Times and thinking about politics all day. Do I actually want to sacrifice a day where I get to guiltlessly sleep in?
No.

I love the idea of spending the day in the art museum wandering around and making notes about artists to look up. Would I really want to miss the Law & Order marathon in order to go see some art that I could see anytime that I want?
No.

I love the idea of having a bunch of people over for a BBQ. Does this mean that I will give up a day of relaxing, listening to NPR, and having some beers in order to have people over?
Hell, no!

This might be the reason that I only ever used my grill once. (And sure, maybe, someone else did most of that grilling that one time.) That doesn't mean that I don't love having a grill, or that I don't love the having bags of charcoal sit in my apartment just in case someone finally finds a cure for laziness. But it might represent the reason it took two weeks or more for me or my roommate to notice that our grill was stolen.

One night recently, in the abnormally nice weather, we sat outside on our fire escape talking about the finality of death* when we finally noticed that the charcoal grill that I bought for $30 at Schnuck's late last June was no longer occupying the northern corner of our porch. We went back and forth for a few minutes trying to decide if one or the other had moved it when we finally decided that it had been stolen.

Granted, I know full well that I never really used it - or that I would really want to have it around next year when I potentially move to New York, but still I don't want my personal belongings stolen in order to prove a point. Is someone trying to tell me something? I mean if it's that I should "use it or lose it" then I am going to start breaking into some celebs' homes and using what they don't use. That'll show 'em!

*I think we were actually discussing Paris and Britney's burgeoning relationship.