Over the years, the more I accumulated, the more I got rid of. Maybe it was the void of the things gone that would drive me to replace those things with even more than I had before. I came into this world with no possessions and if I'm going to leave in the same way (not anytime soon I hope) then I'd better start getting rid of stuff. Hmm--now to decide where to start...
X-Acto Knife to My LifeOne of my favorite hobbies of my early teen years was building models from kits. I tried all sorts of models--cars, planes, ships, monsters. Among the tools I acquired for my pursuit was a set of X-Acto knives. These were small bladed instruments used for trimming excess plastic from model pieces as well as whatever other trim work was needed.
There's not much I usually do about it, but I constantly marvel at all the stuff I surround myself with. That's old news for anyone who has read past posts of this blog, but possibly the same news for you as it is for me. Many of us have so much stuff that maybe at times it would do us good to take an X-Acto Knife to our lives.
Personally I'm not sure where to start. And as always I'll put this chore aside for another day.
Which of your belongings do you think likely hinder you more than help? How long do you think you'd last as an itinerant wanderer with no possessions? If you were going to pick a plastic model kit that best represented the essence of you, what would it be?
A Godzilla model kit!
ReplyDeleteWe've done a lot of purging this year. I'm not one for 'stuff' and would rather the closets weren't jammed with stuff we never use.
Alex, Godzilla is a great choice. I wish I still had the Godzilla model that I built.
DeleteLee
I love collecting books, records, stamps, coins, all kinds of stuff. I'd be horrible about downsizing to a tiny house (a.k.a. a trailer for hispters) or wandering about. As much as I see the value of smaller homes, I'd prefer my next home be a bit larger so there's enough room to comfortably store my things.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I don't get is rich people buying second and third apartments in their luxury building just for the purposes of storing their belongings! How much stuff do you have that it won't even fit inside a huge apartment!
Carrie-Anne, you and I are kindred spirits in the realm of collecting. I'd like to have a large house and be able to turn parts of it into a museum.
DeleteLee
I have my dad's X-Acto knife kit!
ReplyDeleteI am the "stuff" queen. So is my boyfriend. A friend calls our home "The Walgrove Museum of Stuff". Haha.
Just this morning I finally had use for my wood-burning engraver. It was not in the box. Did I give it away? Sell it at a yard sale? I don't remember. Oh well.
Anne, I have the stuff for a museum, but I need a better venue for display. I know how things can just kind of disappear over time. I still look for things I've missed in the past.
DeleteLee
I don't like full closets, and when I buy something, I try to take away something. One in, one out. Works pretty well with clothes until now ;)
ReplyDeleteX is for…
Frederique, I need more closets since all of ours are full now. I don't add much in the way of clothes any more, but slowly things are going away.
DeleteLee
I have a lot of stuff Mr B. . . . I think I will leave it for the kids to sort out after my big exit. It will drive them mad for weeks.
ReplyDeleteRob, if I do leave a lot of stuff behind hopefully I'll at least leave explanations about a lot of it so the kids can better decide what to do with it all. It probably won't matter that much though.
DeleteLee
I figure Star treks mr Data, for a model yeah would be my choice, hes fast, quick witted, okay lacks humor no biggie but compensates by being super smart which the ladies love to talk about. Purging isn't a prob for Data cos like hes an android, so he doesn't succumb to all the hazeri we humans go through, like washing and studying, Data just flicks a switch and hes ready to go,:)
ReplyDeleteGuy, Data was after my model building days, but Star Trek figures are popular. People living in space probably don't have much space in which to keep stuff--kind of ironic I guess.
DeleteLee
As long as we stay here, none of it hinders me. If we end up moving, ALL of it hinders me!
ReplyDeleteCW, When I moved to CA I dragged a lot of stuff with me. Most of it has remained stored away in closets and other places ready to be moved again if that time ever came. It's a hassle to move.
DeleteLee
Lots of papers I need to get rid of. I hate to get rid of my print making supplies or my dollhouse stuff, but I am not using it.
ReplyDeleteKristin, you never know what you will eventually miss again after ridding yourself of it. There is stuff from my childhood that I still have because it meant so much to me then and seems like it could have meaning to me again someday.
DeleteLee
I have much collected of my Daniel Concerts and photo's of my travels. Good to look back on in times such as they are. Loved your post Lee.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Yvonne.
Yvonne, some stuff you really cannot replace if it's gotten rid of. I still think of stuff that I've dumped in the past and wish I had it back.
DeleteLee
Definitely could do with getting rid of some things around here. I have an easier time of it than my husband though.
ReplyDeleteJanet’s Smiles
Janet, my solution when I'm overwhelmed with stuff is often just to rearrange and condense it into more manageable storage components.
DeleteLee
One thing that hinders me are shoes
ReplyDelete