About five years ago, I began feeling somewhat overwhelmed by "stuff." My five bedroom house in Denver really didn't look stuffed, but somehow I had the niggling feeling that I was experiencing "stuff creep!" To make myself feel better, I took a few boxes of "stuff" to Goodwill and patted myself on the back, and then promptly realized that there was still too much "stuff" in my house and garage.
When, approximately 3 years ago, I began preparing to make a move to Wisconsin to be with Wayne full time, the huge task ahead of me became all too real. As I began sorting my clothes, I found that I had lots of lovely things....lovely things that were never worn for one reason or another or had just been forgotten. As I started going through the rooms formerly occupied by my sons and querying them about their "stuff," I initially got "Mom! Don't get rid of any of my "stuff," however when I presented one or the other of them a box of their "stuff," to take to their homes, I got "Mom, I don't have room for this "stuff!" When push came to shove and I was really packing boxes to move, I got "Mom, I don't want any of this "stuff." "But it's yours, I replied." and I got "I don't see why you think I would want it!" The end result was that the only things they cared about were a few of their photos, their old Atari game system and the original Nintendo game system, and stacks of baseball cards. Wayne and I took at least thirty loads to Goodwill! And I was free of "stuff" for the most part.
As we settled into couples life in Mequon, Wisconsin in the house where Wayne has lived for more than forty years, Wayne kept telling me that he was feeling overwhelmed by "stuff." The attic was full of "stuff" and the basement was full of "stuff." The crawl spaces had abundant "stuff." We began pulling out boxes a few at a time and going through them. About 75% of the "stuff" ends up going to Goodwill or into the garbage can. We pack up boxes of "stuff" that we think his kids will want and find that they feel about the same way my sons did. Since there are girls in the mix here, they like mementos somewhat better and are sometimes happy to have what we offer. We've resorted to slipping a box of stuff into their cars when they come by the house. It's going to be a long slow process!
Wayne's son lives in California and we have begun packing a large suitcase with "stuff" that belongs to him and taking it to California when we travel there to give to him. You probably know that the look we get isn't one of happy excitement. To be fair, Buzz did ship a pile of "stuff" via rail to California on one of his visits, but I think he will be getting suitcases of "stuff" for the foreseeable future.
It feels good to begin this process and I think our offspring will be grateful in the end since they won't have to sort through the huge volume of "stuff" when we are gone. We also have this opportunity to mark valuable "stuff," photos, and keepsakes so that they won't be discarded by accident when we aren't here to save them.
Most of you probably have the same problem unless you have lived a minimalist life or unless you have moved and downsized recently. Our advice is to start now....most of it is just miscellaneous "stuff" with not of much value to anyone....it's just accumulated and multiplied over time. We say "Free yourself! It's makes one's soul lighter!"
On the other hand.....we had to sort our parents' "stuff" so.......perhaps we should just leave it for the kids!! Some sort of poetic justice!!!
This comment is kind. Of off topic but it's about 'stuff' never the less... :)
ReplyDeleteRanchers and farmers tend to discard their old outdated equipment, vehicles in an orderly fashion in many small rural towns I have been to. All equipment & vehicles are mostly lined up in an orderly fashion in a back Pasteur somewhere. I find these 'finds' interesting and I'm amused at how often I observe this phenonminom. One may think of these collections as a history lesson of the past or perhaps a farmer/rancher museum. I believe my next endeavor will get out with a driver, find and photograph some of the picturesque of these rural museums or 'stuff'.
And now I feel overwhelmed by my own 'stuff'.... My garage is filled with 'stuff' and needs help....can't even park vehicles in it & even difficult tp navigate through garage these days.