On the Move Again
With my impending vacation just four days away, and my move to a new apartment scheduled for the day after I return, I decide to get serious about the process of packing my life into little 2' x 2' boxes.
Moving, for me at least, is a very illuminating process, and given that I seem to be doing it every couple of months lately, that's a lot of self-examination. With each move, I find myself examining this collection of things that I cart around with me, shedding the things that no longer serve me, and entertaining new visions of what I would like to create instead. What surprises me most is not the things that I want to keep, but the sheer number of things I could care less whether they make it to the new destination in one piece. While my sister is a very meticulous packer and preservationist (read: Pack RAT), I find only a few things give me pause enough to really pack them carefully: a set of candle holders that have illuminated some of my most beautiful memories; family photos in frames carefully chosen by loved ones; a set of pots that my mother bought for me for no reason other than she wanted to surprise me with a gift.
I throw away (and give away) a lot of things when I move. My sister, god bless her, is always right behind me, rescuing things from the trash with a disapproving shake of the head and a "You can't throw that away!" or my favorite, "But you could get money for that!" I could, but really, who cares? For me, those things are a remnant of a life already lived, a relic of the past rather than a part of the future I want to create. And my giveaways create a virtual free-for-all of joy on CraigsList - people calling me at 11:40 at night to come get the free desk or set of left-handed golf clubs. It makes me happy to see those things go onto their new life with no deals, bargaining, or money changing hands. My favorite part is meeting the wonderful people who come to pick up my stuff: parents who needed a desk for their teenage son; a family of five who obviously didn't have much money but were estatic about new couches; a husband who wants to share his love of golf with his wife. Those moments are, in the words of the credit card commercial, priceless.
Moving, for me at least, is a very illuminating process, and given that I seem to be doing it every couple of months lately, that's a lot of self-examination. With each move, I find myself examining this collection of things that I cart around with me, shedding the things that no longer serve me, and entertaining new visions of what I would like to create instead. What surprises me most is not the things that I want to keep, but the sheer number of things I could care less whether they make it to the new destination in one piece. While my sister is a very meticulous packer and preservationist (read: Pack RAT), I find only a few things give me pause enough to really pack them carefully: a set of candle holders that have illuminated some of my most beautiful memories; family photos in frames carefully chosen by loved ones; a set of pots that my mother bought for me for no reason other than she wanted to surprise me with a gift.
I throw away (and give away) a lot of things when I move. My sister, god bless her, is always right behind me, rescuing things from the trash with a disapproving shake of the head and a "You can't throw that away!" or my favorite, "But you could get money for that!" I could, but really, who cares? For me, those things are a remnant of a life already lived, a relic of the past rather than a part of the future I want to create. And my giveaways create a virtual free-for-all of joy on CraigsList - people calling me at 11:40 at night to come get the free desk or set of left-handed golf clubs. It makes me happy to see those things go onto their new life with no deals, bargaining, or money changing hands. My favorite part is meeting the wonderful people who come to pick up my stuff: parents who needed a desk for their teenage son; a family of five who obviously didn't have much money but were estatic about new couches; a husband who wants to share his love of golf with his wife. Those moments are, in the words of the credit card commercial, priceless.
Labels: Life Outside the Law
posted by Marjorie Bachman at
11:31 PM
1 Comments:
Good luck with the packing--moving is NEVER fun. I'd offer to help, but I'm out of town for a bit ;-)
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