My earlier post about "Old Things" elicited some interesting reponses. Claude, at "Blogging In Paris" even wrote a piece at her place on the topic. Her blog also has some ever-changing fascinating pictures which have been attracting me for some time. (No, I still don't have my links set so you can click within this piece to go directly to her blog, but you will find a link on my right sidebar.)
I think I've learned what I need to do to address my reluctance to part with "old things." Claude has provided one approach to the problem. BTW I sometimes, too, digress, which she noted she had done when writing the piece on her blog, so let me say, I share her lack of attachment to places. Now back to the topic at hand.
Cop Car at her blog of the same name, provided me a very practical solution for determing the disposition of items. I've chosen to interpret and mold what she said as sorta telling me what I could do with them. ;-) Of note, is her observation that "everything kept is sentimental." Ay, and therein lies the rub for me.
Chancy from "Driftwood Inspiration" added her comment describing a mixture of involuntary and voluntary experiences plus changes in her life which resulted in the downsizing of possessions. I was saddened to hear of some of her experience.
Others who admitted similar-to-mine accumulation issues, provided reassurance that I was not alone with my dilemna. Perhaps we should form a club, but I'm hoping to not belong to it for too long.
What I have learned from all this, is that I have a number of choices. I could put the items in storage. As it is, I already have some packed in boxes in the garage. That is, at best a temporary solution for eventually, I'll need to remove them from the garage. I could have a garage sale -- for the items -- not the garage (I know, that's another old bad joke.)
Certainly I could simply donate the items to one of many groups who regularly provide pick ups in our area. Another solution would be voluntarily or involuntarily down-sizing my living quarters -- you know, move to a smaller place. I don't really want to do that yet, and maybe never, if I can manage to stay in my home.
Then, there's the suggestion to which I should probably give really serious consideration, not only for possessions I have now, but those I might obtain in the future. This is what I really derived from what Cop Car wrote: If you can't use it, lose it.
Good luck in coping with your own overflow. As usual, I may have exaggerated a teeny bit--providing the impression that our home is clutter free. I wish! (Short of exporting one husband, the house will never be clutter free. No, Hunky Husband isn't "clutter"; but, he is prone to stockpiling/saving/ignoring piles of "stuff".) While it is true that I took on little when Dad, and then Mom, died, and while I had given away "stuff" that I'd wanted to give away for 30-40 years but had kept so as not to hurt Mom's feelings, there are still artifacts of 5 generations that haunt me--books, photographs, and old paperwork, mostly. While one of my cousins was good enough to bring a truck to haul furniture, furnishings, and bric-a-brac away from her house when Mom died, she didn't make a stop at my own house. Hmmm...perhaps I should issue an invitation for her to bring her truck back. That might take care of some of the stuff from the maternal side of my family. Then, if I could get a grand-niece or grand-nephew to bring their truck for the paternal side....You are giving me ideas! How about a "bring your own truck" family reunion?
ReplyDeleteCop Car
If I could resist the laziness factor ;) one thing I would do today (no, tomorrow) would be to donate every piec of clothing that is too small and/or that I haven't worn for over a year.
ReplyDeleteThis is giving me an idea.
I might pile up all that junk, take a photo ;) and it would give me food for a post...
A agree with Cop Car; I just haven't done that....LOL
ReplyDeleteI've learned through 65 years and 43 moves that moving is the best method of ridding oneself of clutter. It's a whole lot easier to throw things out than pack them and who wants to pay the moving company for the extra weight anyway?
ReplyDeleteIt also helps if you have a natural proclivity for things that are more useful than decorative or sentimental. But what do you do with those gifts from good and loving friends that don't pass the space or usefulness test?
My solution for those following this most recent move has been to put them in a drawer while I think it over. Another thought I've had is to put all that stuff in a big box, mark it "junk" and then it's all in one easy place to be thrown out when I die.
In a minor bit of synchronicity, I too am poking through clothes to get rid of what I haven't worn in a year or is too small, but it's slow going.
I've always told people that I live by the rule that if I haven't used it or worn it in a year, throw it out. But that's a lie.
Cop Car knows that I am struggling with this issue. I've been trying to organize the things in our basement for 17 years, with little headway. As soon as I make a space, someone fills it with something! We have 20 years of business papers, all of Elegante Mother's saved things (including about 60 years of old luggage), part of a canoe, part of a sailboat, a Darth Vader advertising stand-up, Dear Husband's tools, and all the holiday and seasonal decorations. Maybe I need to fill one box a day to be sent out with the garbage. Surely, if I break the job down to one hour a day it will eventually get done. Do you know anyone who wants back issues of sailing magazines???
ReplyDeleteBuffy
Why is it so hard to throw away old luggage? I still have the luggage set that relatives gave me upon my being graduated from high school. That was a long, long time ago! Not to mention most of the bags that I've had since then. (A few pieces have been given away to a daughter or a friend who would use them!) My Hunky Husband has a closet full of old/current bags, with the overflow taking up space in his weights room. Yecch! (I do still have Mom's luggage--mostly filled with old photos.) Perhaps we should form a circle of friends. Each of us sends a piece of luggage--preferably, filled with "stuff"--to the next person on the circle once each month. The next person gets to keep whatever she receives, pass it on the next month, burn it, sell it, throw it in the back yard--whatever! In about 10 years, we should be able to winnow out some of our "stuff". (I can dream, can't I?)
ReplyDeleteCop Car
Well, I'm overwhelmed with all these helpful ideas and to learn how many others share my problem.
ReplyDeleteBloggers to the rescue for "old things" collectors:
Cop Car: "bring your own truck - family reunion."
I'll have to address your topic of "old luggage" another time 'cause I do have something to say about that subject.
Claude: "donate every piece of clothing ... too small..."
Ronni: disposing of clothing item she hasn't "worn in a year or is too small
Interesting we all talk about getting rid of clothes too small, not clothes that have become "too large" ???
Yeah, Ronni, that's real considerate of others stuck with our 'stuff' by having a box we actually fill, marked "junk."
Buffy: "one hour a day" to just sort through 'stuff' -- that sounds reasonable, all I have to do is do it.
But, Buffy, -- Oh, those "old magazines" -- you might want to read them someday. Somebody must want them.
I wrote about this very topic about a year ago...Mementos.
ReplyDeleteYes, I probably should declutter a few items, but I just can't.
I am a hopeless case. My kids think they will make a fortune off of me on eBay when I am finally separated from my "debris". I hope they can turn my junk into dollars, it's the only inheritance I will leave...other than my blog - LOL
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ReplyDelete"Ashley Engel
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