Philosophical Monday: The Things We Threw Away
This story about an Israeli daughter who threw out an old mattress that she later found out had her mother’s lifesavings in it (over a million USD) stopped my heart cold. You see while my sister inherited my father’s packrat gene, I totally inherited my mother’s love of throwing things out.
- Photo Credit: Eric Kilby
If I haven’t worn something in a year or more, it goes to goodwill. Thanks for the birthday card, but no matter how beautiful it is, it’s going straight into recycling. And I get especially horrible when I travel. If my bag gets too heavy, it’s time to leave some stuff behind before I head to my next destination. I might be the only person who cleans out her bag before she heads home.
This attitude has actually served me well throughout my life. I already have enough emotional baggage, it’s nice not to have to carry real baggage along, too. Also, there’s just something so satisfying about throwing a bunch of stuff out and keeping the things that I keep lean and mean.
However, this practice has gotten me in trouble a few times. Ask my best friend MMKV from “Political Physics” about the time I had to call her in the middle of the night to ask her to buy me a bus ticket from New York to Pittsburgh over the phone. I had just returned from London, had no money left in my bank account, and I had accidentally thrown out my Greyhound ticket for the last leg of my trip during my pre-return bag clean-out.
Still, this hasn’t stopped me from loving to throw the things out that I no longer use or need. But how about you? Are you a pack rat or thrower away of things? And if you’re like me, have you ever thrown something away that you really needed later?
I love throwing things away! And just like in your family, it is totally inherited from my mother. I am guilty of throwing away things I later needed and throwing out things I later regretted.
When my now husband moved in with me, I made him get rid of this dirty old oscillating fan that we really had no place to store and no longer seemed necessary in the air conditioned splendor of the Valley. Ever summer since, we wished we had that fan back.
I also, stupidly, in a fit of 'I'm done with school' hysteria, threw away most of my notes from college, at least from courses that were not in my major. I regret it so much. I keep hoping I will unearth them one day in my parents' home, but no luck so far.
Still, I'd choose a few regrets over being a pack rat any day!
I love throwing things away! And just like in your family, it is totally inherited from my mother. I am guilty of throwing away things I later needed and throwing out things I later regretted.
When my now husband moved in with me, I made him get rid of this dirty old oscillating fan that we really had no place to store and no longer seemed necessary in the air conditioned splendor of the Valley. Ever summer since, we wished we had that fan back.
I also, stupidly, in a fit of 'I'm done with school' hysteria, threw away most of my notes from college, at least from courses that were not in my major. I regret it so much. I keep hoping I will unearth them one day in my parents' home, but no luck so far.
Still, I'd choose a few regrets over being a pack rat any day!
I used to be something of a keeper of all things sentimental, but am now a consistent purger. Anytime I buy a new item of clothing, an old one MUST go. That's the rule. I also toss cards in the recycling, save for significant ones. I often need to do a monthly purge, just 'cause, really. I mean, how much crap do we need? It turns out, not that much.
I used to be something of a keeper of all things sentimental, but am now a consistent purger. Anytime I buy a new item of clothing, an old one MUST go. That's the rule. I also toss cards in the recycling, save for significant ones. I often need to do a monthly purge, just 'cause, really. I mean, how much crap do we need? It turns out, not that much.