I was talking with a friend the other day about stuff. All the things that we collect and ferret away into boxes and attics, basements and storage facilities. If your town is anything like mine, you will have noticed the proliferation of ‘self-storage’ facilities. What in the world do we need all this stuff for? I know people who have paid thousands of dollars to keep a washer and dryer (worth maybe $500) in storage. This is the invisible cost of our inability to let go. I am as guilty as the next person of the odd obsession of not letting anything go. For me, it’s the common fear of “What if I need this?” overlaid with “I’m going to get back to that soon.” When I am looking around at my ever-expanding collection of stuff, it becomes apparent very quickly how stressful it is. My stuff represents, in many ways, my inability to bring closure to phases of my life, my refusal to admit that I will never ‘get back to that.’ So, I have boxes that have been moved to multiple homes and never opened or unpacked, yet, there they are, taunting me with their existence. We identify with our things which is, in my opinion, a big emotional mistake. Things break, wear out, get lost, and lose that initial shine, so when we identify with them, we see the decline of those objects as a decline of the self.
‘Things’ may represent what we do but should not represent who we are.
The other side of this idea is there are people in dire need who might use our stored, boxed, and forgotten items. Clothes we have not worn in years, that old set of pots, pans, and dishes tucked neatly away could be the lifeline for a family in need. Think of a rule that works for you such as, ‘If I haven’t touched/seen it in X years it is no longer of value to my family and me.’
Let it go! Donate it, sell it, unload the baggage taking up space in your attic and your mind. This process has multiple benefits to someone in need, to the environment, (no need to manufacture more stuff) monetary savings, clearing space in your home and potentially your mind as well.
Fighting the Myth 
I am guilty of this, also, but I blame it on age. I agree with the pots and pans and clothing, but what about old family junk that means nothing to anyone else? Pictures, children’s drawings, trip souvenirs- worthless to anyone else. Seems cold to just toss it, and will the family appreciate it when I have died? Will they even know who the people in the pictures are? Makes me sad to see family pictures for sale in thrift shops, sold for the frames only.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did that exact thing with a washer/dryer set. I probably could have purchased a couple new sets for the cost of the storage. It seemed ridiculous when it was all said and done. I still fight the hoarding of items. Honestly, sometimes I watch Hoarders just so I get in the mood to purge stuff I don’t need.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny how we lose track of those things. We just pay the bill and think we will ‘take care of that next month.’
LikeLiked by 1 person
The storage shed was probably me trying to hang onto things from my marriage. I’ve always had a hard time letting go of things and people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Keeping family memorabilia is very different from storing various items of no sentimental value. We all have personal choices to make, of course. The real issue I am addressing here is the lack of decisionmaking. Just stuff it in a box and pretend to forget about it.
LikeLike
I can think of a few things everyone could let go of. Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel like an alien I have never been a hoarder. If I don’t use something for over six months- it’s gone.
I even cull my books every few years … I know! Crazy 😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person