Saturday, June 19, 2010

Do I really need this? Why do I have it?

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Before moving to Georgia, I had gone through my things several times.  I threw out at least 5 large black garbage bags full of things I had no use for.  I donated clothes, books, and other things that I didn't need to Goodwill.  It felt so good to get rid of that excess stuff that I didn't need.


Well, after getting down here, I have recently found out that I could have gotten rid of A LOT more stuff.  I rushed down here on Saturday because our things were supposed to arrive on Monday, and somebody needed to be at the house to receive them.  Unfortunately, the moving company didn't bother to call and tell us that a driver quit on them and we wouldn't be receiving our stuff until Friday.  Finally, our things did arrive yesterday.  And, after being so eager for them to get here, I was taken aback at ALL OF THE STUFF we had!  Some of the stuff I didn't even think was mine.  I had no recollection of having it at all.


My goodness! The movers were allowed to bring things in and take them out of the boxes, but they weren't allowed to put them away or organize them.  So, when they dumped the things off and took them out of the boxes, Lee and I appeared to be like those hoarders on television.  We had stuff EVERYWHERE!  We went out to eat, came home, and then I got right to work organizing the kitchen. I put away countless mugs, 2 sandwich makers, 3 crock pots, 5 cutting boards, gadgets I've never even used, and other items that took up the kitchen.  The cabinets are now full and I'm still wondering where to put some things.  The crock pots got to me the most.  We hang onto things because they have sentimental value.  One of the crock pots has never even been taken out of the box.  And I'm sure I kept them because they were given as gifts, and people know you can always use a crock pot.  I probably thought there might be a day when I will use three crock pots.  HOWEVER, that day is not today and probably it won't be tomorrow or any other day soon.  So, off to Goodwill will some go.  Other people may need an unused crock pot at a good price.  I don't know how mugs accumulate, that's one of those mysteries I won't figure out.  I will also be getting rid of anything we may have duplicates or triplicates of.  There is simply no point in keeping them.  Although I am thankful to people for having thought of us and getting these things for us, they didn't know what we previously had and I'm sure they wouldn't want us holding onto their thing just to hold onto it.


Just now, I was going through some books.  There are novels I have had from college courses.  I took a Willa Cather course in college, and I have somewhere from 8-10 novels that I bought for that course and for my personal interest in reading more of her works after the course.  I haven't read those books in probably 5 years now.  I would say it is time for them to move on.  I also have a lot of Elisabeth Elliot books.  I did enjoy those books and I held onto them because I like them so much, but shouldn't I share what I enjoyed with others?  What's the point of keeping something if it is just going to sit there for a least a year simply taking up space?  I've resolved that there is none.


Looking at all of these things, they are things I have kept for the possibility of using them later.  Well, now it's later and I still haven't used them.  So, what does that tell me?  I'm not going to use them later.  When we go out to run errands, do we grab 5 purses wondering "well I might need this, so.." No, most of us don't.  We take what we need.  So, I am going to do my best to keep only what I use regularly and need and just get rid of the rest.