Plenty is a state of mind. It has little or nothing to do with how much we have and everything to do with how much we savor what we have. To be blessed is to be capable of being sated. There is probably no private hell worse than living in a state of perpetual desire. Hunger devours more than the lining of the stomach; it sucks the juice from the present moment.

One of my memories growing up involved preparing for our bi-annual family vacation to Seattle. My mother told me to go into the basement for a suitcase so that I could pack my clothes for our two-week trip Northwest. It took me all of five minutes at most to put all my clothes into that suitcase. I vividly remember how empty the suitcase was after my having packed it. It was the first time it occurred to me that other people had more than I did. If not, why did the small brass-hinged, fake-tweed covered suitcase have room for so much more?

I know now that I didn’t have much as a kid. I rarely owned more than two pairs of Levis, had more than three or four shirts, and a couple of sweaters at a time. My sisters and I each got one new pair of shoes a year (mine were usually boots), a pair of sneakers, and every other year we got a new coat. It was cold in Wyoming so they were usually down jackets from Eddie Bauer. The irony is that I thought we were rich. We had what we needed and we loved what we had. We were rich, in hindsight.

Some weeks ago, Rick Newcombe and I were chatting on the phone. The subject of collection size came up. Rick lamented that perhaps he had too many pipes. “Having too many pipes keeps me from really getting to know each one,” Rick observed. “I wonder if I really know my pipes as well as I should?” That conversation has been echoing in my consciousness ever since we had it. There is wisdom in his words, maybe even more than Rick intended.

Rick is blessed in a lot of ways. A successful entrepreneur, Rick’s pipe collection is a tour de force. With his resources, Rick has collected the big names – Chonowitsch, Nordh, Bang, Teddy, Ivarsson, etc. Like many of you, I’ve seen some stunning examples from his collection. That Rick would talk about appreciating them more as opposed to what else is out there that he can gather – well, it moved me more than just a little. I am so grateful for my collector friends. I’d rather have a few good pipes and keep my friends than have a lot of good pipes and few friends. 

I marvel at that old adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” I’m grateful for Rick’s words. I’m focusing now on really getting to know and enjoying the pipes that I have. When I pull a pipe off the rack, I’m focusing on understanding that pipe’s character, what it offers the palate, its clarity of articulating various tobacco flavors, its balance, and spirit.

This is a different journey than that which I’ve mostly been taking lately. It is not so much to hunt and gather as to rest and eat. It is a time of grace, of gratitude for being so richly blessed, and a time of learning more about what I appreciate and less about what I desire.

I find no little irony in my current state of mind. Chicago is coming, and if I am to survive the myriad temptations I am certain to find there, I will need more resolve than I have heretofore been able to summon from my character. Chicago requires more than cash. More than focus. More than resolve. This year I will seek to better understand what I value and how I might derive more value from the blessings I already have. I wonder, “Am I up to it?”

I have no doubt that my collection will grow some while I’m in Chicago. I’m not sure how much, but I know this: I’ll be making decisions about the number of pieces I acquire this year, who I acquire them from, and how much I spend before I set foot toward Pheasant Run.