Gah. Today is the day I’m supposed to go through my shit stuff and dispose of everything I will not be taking with me in the van. Since the van is pretty much as full as I want it to be (I like my leg room), that means getting rid of everything else. I don’t have a LOT, but what I have is stuff I haven’t been able to part with in the past.
I’m feeling all kinds of anxious about this, like one of those people on Hoarders who throws up their hands and yells, “Just throw it all away!” because they don’t want to deal with all the decisions.
It’s the decisions that kill me.
- What do I do with the beautiful orange-and-gold antique kimono I bought on a whim fifteen years ago that has been hanging in the closet ever since? Sell it, right?
That means taking good pix of it and writing up a description and posting it on eBay. I’ve put off doing this repeatedly because I can’t imagine being able to take decent photos that show how gorgeous it is, as well as closeups of its few flaws. At least now I have a good camera, courtesy of a generous birthday present, so no more excuses!
Decision: take the shots, write the description, and post the damn thing on eBay. - And then there’s the twelve-inch pony tail of my hair that I chopped off almost a year ago, planning to sell it on one of those hair-for-sale sites. I should really just throw it away or donate it to charity, but I can’t bring myself to do either. I worry that I won’t be able to get much for it because there’s grey in it, because I didn’t take a photo while it was still on my head the way other sellers do, and because it got wavy in the plastic bag it’s been sitting in all this time and I don’t know how to return it to its normal straightness without pulling out bits from the tie that holds it. Gah.
Decision: stop being selfish an take it to a hair salon that donates hair to charity. - What about all the notebooks and journals I’ve filled over the years with drivel and occasional bouts of creative genius (ok, not genius but good stuff)? They take up space better used for, I don’t know, food or gear. I’ve lugged some of these around for over forty years.
Decision: pack them in a special box and take them along… but designate time every day to go through them looking for gems to repurpose—or in most cases, purpose. - And that stack of books over there, what about them? I have a Kindle now, no need for print books that take up way too much space, but it’s hard to part with some of these, even though I never quite get around to rereading them.
Decision: keep three, and give away the rest. - Junk-drawer stuff. Assorted items that are useful to have around but not really necessary.
Tough decision: get rid of it. (I don’t know why, but this is gonna hurt.) - Gardening stuff that I spent a bundle on and then rarely or never used.
Decision: give away. (If you live in San Diego, let me know if you’re interested!) - Framed photos of family. I can’t hang them in the van, so what do I do with them?
Another tough decision: remove photos from frames and donate frames to Salvation Army (oops, turns out daughter-in-law Emily wants those.) Take photos to one of those photo places that puts them on a CD. - Old/dead electronics that have been piling up since the dawn of time because I want to be a responsible citizen, environmentally speaking.
Decision: dispose of them at the next electronics recycling event. - Old shoes and clothes that I never wear.
Obvious decision: throw away or donate to Salvation Army. - Kitchen stuff — cookware, small appliances, dishes.
Easy decision: sort through them with Emily and let her keep what she wants. Donate the rest to Salvation Army.
There’s a Salvation Army just down the street, so when I’m done sorting, I’ll load up the van and drop off that shit.
I’m going in. If you don’t hear from me in 24 hours, call 911.
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Why didn’t you have a yard sale?
Lol, no yard. I’m in an apartment.
Oh right.
If you still end up with stuff, don’t forget Craigslist.
Oh, right – good idea, thanks!
atta girl! You are brave, you can do it. Though it does sound like more than a day’s worth of work. We’ll send help if we don’t hear from you…
Thanks, Yolanda! Luckily, Emily is helping. I think I can get ‘er done today, except for selling/shipping the kimono.
I think you should keep your journals somewhere (friends, kids), those really are irreplaceable and tell the story of your life. My mother is a picture-taker and it always drove us crazy when we were growing up but I don’t know how many times I have found her going through her pictures and looking back on her life, it is meaningful. She is 89. Don’t undervalue “stuff”, some of it is very important.
Good point, though a lot of the journal stuff is not really anything I’d want my kids to read… lots of self-pity, etc. But yes, I’ll hang onto it. Same with photos. It will all go in a box for someone to go through when I’m dead and can’t be embarrassed any more. :p
Good point Lynn. Although the trend is all about simplifying your life with less belongings, I read a really good article/blog about a family who did just that, but then was sad about the heritage items they did not keep. Be smart, hold onto irreplaceable items, but get rid of all those thumbtacks and paperclips we seem to collect.
I don’t have a Kindle, but books are too heavy to carry in my van. However, I have kept a few that are dog eared from reading that are special reminders.
See if your family/friends won’t give you space for a box or two of memory items you want to keep, but don’t need to carry with you. ( I still have a crammed-full 10×12 storage of things to go through! so who am I to talk?) If you are down to only a box or two… you are doing great!
I have a few photos stuck in and around in my van. It is nice to touch them. So keep the ones most precious, after copying to CD, with you 🙂
Best wishes on this endeavor… I can relate, and know that it is difficult emotionally sometimes.
🙂
Don’t forget to itemize your donations for income tax deductions!! Proud of you!
~Sarah
Thanks, Sarah!
Love that you included a doable next step to help you move forward with each difficult yet necessary and goal-oriented decision. Keep Rocking it, LaVonne!
Yes, it really helped to go through the list and make the decisions ahead of time, to avoid the anxiety of dealing with it in the moment. Thanks!
I am getting ready to have two major decluttering days, and I love the idea of thinking through what you’ll do with stuff before going in. I have a general sense, but knowing the specifics definitely takes away some of the heebeegeebees.
Two other possibilities for you are http://www.freecycle.org and finding “foster” homes for things that you want to keep but can’t take along in the van.
Hope you’re having fun with this too…I actually love getting rid of stuff once I get started, and the feeling when everything is cleared out is orgasmic. ;-D
Orgasmic, huh? Why didn’t anyone tell me? That is some motivation!
Re foster homes, my son and daughter-in-law will foster the few items I can’t let go of, but it’s mostly photos. The main issue is just doing the work. I’m a LAZY old broad!
Have fun decluttering!
It is liberating to shed that excess weight. It took me a few years to really knock down all my belongings to what I carry around currently. No need to rush it as long as you have someone willing to store a few items for you while you are on the road. But, in the end it is refreshing.
I found the link to your blog at CRVL. So glad you are actually doing this! Wish I could!
Good luck on getting rid of stuff. It will feel so good once you’re done! 🙂