Stuff

I used to have a house chock-a-block full of 'stuff'. Some of it was pretty good stuff, but most of it was really just junk. Mind you it was good junk! I thought I just had to keep it.

A lot of this 'good' junk was acquired shopping at garage sales, yard sales, junk stores and flea markets. At one time in my life I would go through withdrawal if I couldn't go to some kind of junk sale.

Then events happened in my life that made me realize I didn't really need all of this 'good' junk. It started about 21 years ago when I moved from one city to another. While packing up to move, I realized a lot of the so called treasures I had accumulated through 'junk' shopping was really just junk. So I had a massive garage sale of my own and sold a big portion of my junk treasures. I said to myself, "Self, never get this much junk again!"

Ah, how good intentions can go awry! The house we moved to wasn't as big as the last house and some more of my treasures again left through the event known as a yard sale. I promised myself if something new came through the front door, then something old would go out the back door. Didn't happen though.

Two years ago I moved again. This time it was a real nightmare! I couldn't believe how much stuff had been accumulated in those 19 years. I had several months to get ready as we were waiting on the new house to be built and completed. It was a good thing I had that much time as I wouldn't have made it otherwise. Even then it was a terrible time, deciding what to keep, what to get rid of and where to dispose of it all.

A good deal of it went to Good Will, more to the trash and a lot to the local Freecycle Yahoo Group.

Some went to friends and relatives and some to a charitable resale shop. I sold over a housand books. In the end, only really good 'stuff' got moved to the new house. However I have a sneaky suspicion some of what I think is 'good' stuff needs a recalulation and may need to go somewhere else to live.

Yesterday one of my neighbors had a garage sale and all at once the old yearning to prowl through someone else's stuff came over me. I watch the Antiques Road Show and still hope one day to find a real bargain on an extraordinary treasure! I looked through all of the offered goodies and admired some of them, although no valuable treasures jumped out at me. I was very good. I bought 3 books which will go to Half-Price Books once I read them.
Martha