I have a friend who is close to making Aliyah (moving to Haifa,Israel). She is packing everything she wants into the allowed number of suitcases (I think it is 5). Everything else is being sold or given away. She is shipping NOTHING. ( She may be leaving some personal items with a relative in his garage.) She wants to start fresh. I admire her tremendously for many reasons, one being that try as I might, I don't think I could ever start "fresh"
I really don't own that much "stuff" (ala George Carlin) and during my last move about 10 years ago, I did almost start fresh, getting rid of about half of my belongings. On a previous move when I still had what I considered a house full of items, the movers got there & groaned because I had so little & they were being paid by the hour, so they wouldn't make very much on my move. I guess what I am saying is that the amount one owns is in the eye of the beholder. I think I have a lot, the movers think I have too little to bother with.
Right now, I think I have as little as I could possibly tolerate. Everything I own fits into a bedroom & 1/2 and about 12 large plastic storage containers. I have one large antique china hutch that has been integrated into my mom's decor. Plus, I have all of my kitchen utensils, pots, pans, small appliances, etc. I have mementos from loved ones including my maternal grandmother's wedding dress & of all things her electric waffle iron which I am afraid to use cause of the old wiring. I know I could have it rewired, but then is it still hers? I have quilt squares that both my grandmother & greatgrandmother made. I am an inconsistent crafter, so I have 1/4 closet of supplies. I do still use them when I am in the right mood. I LOVE costume jewelry & native arts. I am a snob about sheets. I don't have very many, but the ones I have I could never part with. Anyway, my goal here was not to list my possessions, but to be thrilled for my friend & the achievement of her goals. She is a true pioneer.
An image came to mind of a wagon train traveling west approaching the mountains. My friend would be the one lightening the load by throwing items out of the wagon. I would be the one weeping by the trail over some chair my great grandfather made with his own hands. (I actually have one of those!)
After 16 moves and drastically downsizing for the last move, we still have too much. But I've asked myself several times, "What would I truly NEVER leave behind?" The answer is always the same: all my photos which include framed, albums, CDs, DVDs, flash drives and VHS family tapes and my computer to see the photos. And those amount to a HUGE number. To me, nothing else matters. My books would come next. Other things are just that....things. Those things have a way of winding themselves around our hearts for various reasons and it's hard to let go. Kudos to your friend for letting go and taking such an important step.
ReplyDeleteOh Pam, I am laughing out loud!! It's actually 3 suitcases, a carry on, and a purse. Your writing is very visual and I love it. Maybe you and I will live in our fantasy Golden Girls apartment or our boarding house זהב בנות
ReplyDelete