Take the time to read this. You've no idea how much space it may save you.
http://www.paulgraham.com/stuff.html
Really, in my heart I completely agree with Paul Graham - there is such a thing as too much stuff. It is something I have. I would love to have the brain capacity to clear it away.
But that only thing he didn't address are the memories and treasures you'll want to pass onto children. He looked at this from a bachelor's point of view. I agree with the fact that things to day are more 'worthless' - that is a fact. However, if you had coffee in paper cups for your first date with someone you later married, keeping a clean one of those paper cups may seem worthless to some, but very important to you.
I think we need to be very selective with 'stuff' and sometimes it can be very hard. Especially if you are in a partnership with someone with a fantastic memory. The reason I say this is I have a fantastic memory and so everytime I pick up a random object from my many boxes of stuff I ahve, I can tell you how old that thing is, where I got it, who gave it to me for what birthday/Christmas and anything that has happened to said thing up to that point. Now, the problem here is, I like telling these stories. I would like to tell them to my children to pass on parts of my life I haven't written down. I want them to know the small parts of life are also special, not just the big things that are cool enough to take photos of or videotape.
That said - I know I have too much stuff. I really do. I will minimise it. Once I have time. If only I had as much time as I have stuff. Now that would be truly special.
Our Day
One of our favourite shots, taken by a very good friend
About Me
- Jirya
- Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
- I am a new wife who actually enjoys most wifely duties, especially cooking. A newbie to scrapbooking also, I am a creative soul and plan to scrap many of my recipes to give as gifts to fmaily members who love them. Eventually I will get to scrapping my wedding too.
2 comments:
I really really love all my stuff ... I am somewhat of a hoarder but I can let things go ... I find when I travel away or have to pack my things away (living in someone elses home) I truely miss all my stuff ... I think I only have about four boxes of stuff from my childhood, but all my other boxes are stuff I wish I had space for, so I could use it ... I miss being able to easily grab my uni textbooks and refresh when I want to, I miss easily being able to grab a novel I feel like reading ... I think I use all my stuff, and those I dont, I pull out once a year to remember. I always pull out my old diaries and flick through, I pull out my flute and realise how much technique/skill I lost, and just leaf through the boxes of memories - that in itself is powerful and meaningful.
That's a very good point darl - looking back to the past reminds us where we are now, how far we've come, and of old hopes and dreams we may have forgotten.
I miss my stuff also. We seem to both be living in this forced, streamlined existence and yet, neither of us want that at all.
*sigh*
The time will come when we will be reunited with our stuff - and we shall have a party to celebrate! :)
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