I loved this and it resonated with me too. When my dad died, I was the one who cleaned out his apartment, and while he didn’t have much, I still had to DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
I came home from that trip 13 years ago and vowed to consistently purge and try not to buy more than I need. All well and good but if you need any curly hair products, I’ve got a small Overstock.com store in my bathroom cabinets. And I too have boxes of unused greeting cards. It’s all about balance! 😘
HAAAAA! You KNOW. Exactly. It's hard, too, because you know whatever the stuff is--no matter how trivial--it meant something to them or revealed something....that's why it's so hard to part with things. I say open up your own hair product pop-up and make same CHANG, girl!!! :) Break out the unused greeting cards and collage that shizz...ETSY is calling you!! XO!
This is such a great story! Just beautiful storytelling.
I think about my possessions all the time, in aggregate. I'm slowly trying to come to grips with a mad phase of Star Wars collecting I went through in my 20s. And also just to have less stuff. It's hard to get rid of it once it finds its way into your house.
Thanks Eric! Appreciate that....it IS really hard because we attach so much to our stuff. Doing a purge of some kind can make you get really, really clear about what you're willing to fight for and what you're ready to make peace parting with. It reveals A LOT...and that's why a purge should never be undertaken without a bottle of top shelf something within reach. I would also suggest scoping out the right tomb for the Star Wars stuff. Then you can booby-trap it Indiana Jones style and now you've got so much awesome cross-over going your relatives will be FIGHTING over that quest! :)
Loved this post! It is so gratifying to hear an opposite viewpoint and learn something, Sheila. I am tacking this on, just to inspire you with the opposite take on the same subject - and make you laugh, maybe. Out of the Closet
HAAAAA! That was a great read, Sharron! GOOD FOR YOU! Your son is going to think he stumbled into the wrong place. "Where's all the STUFF?" :) You will have the last, beautiful word there I think :)
Sweet story and lovely photos as always. My wife and I are going through this debate constantly. I come from a family I (mostly) lovingly call The OCD Hoarders Club (too much stuff for any one person to have, but at least it’s catalogued nicely). Jill, on the other hand, is sentimental about little when it comes to things and is the declutter queen.
I LOVED your photos, Glenn! Absolutely gorgeous..I could practically smell those blossoms. I was lucky enough to live in DC from 1999 to the early summer of 2001. I wasn't the avid photographer then that I am now, but I remember going down to the Tidal Basin when I lived there to walk under the trees. I was completely spoiled living there--it was effortless..even when it was a little chilly and raw. They are national treasures. And thanks for the kind words about this piece. The great stuff migration is NOT easy! I hope you and Jill can meet in the middle....over a box of the best stuff you both share :)
I loved this and it resonated with me too. When my dad died, I was the one who cleaned out his apartment, and while he didn’t have much, I still had to DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
I came home from that trip 13 years ago and vowed to consistently purge and try not to buy more than I need. All well and good but if you need any curly hair products, I’ve got a small Overstock.com store in my bathroom cabinets. And I too have boxes of unused greeting cards. It’s all about balance! 😘
HAAAAA! You KNOW. Exactly. It's hard, too, because you know whatever the stuff is--no matter how trivial--it meant something to them or revealed something....that's why it's so hard to part with things. I say open up your own hair product pop-up and make same CHANG, girl!!! :) Break out the unused greeting cards and collage that shizz...ETSY is calling you!! XO!
This is such a great story! Just beautiful storytelling.
I think about my possessions all the time, in aggregate. I'm slowly trying to come to grips with a mad phase of Star Wars collecting I went through in my 20s. And also just to have less stuff. It's hard to get rid of it once it finds its way into your house.
Thanks Eric! Appreciate that....it IS really hard because we attach so much to our stuff. Doing a purge of some kind can make you get really, really clear about what you're willing to fight for and what you're ready to make peace parting with. It reveals A LOT...and that's why a purge should never be undertaken without a bottle of top shelf something within reach. I would also suggest scoping out the right tomb for the Star Wars stuff. Then you can booby-trap it Indiana Jones style and now you've got so much awesome cross-over going your relatives will be FIGHTING over that quest! :)
Loved this post! It is so gratifying to hear an opposite viewpoint and learn something, Sheila. I am tacking this on, just to inspire you with the opposite take on the same subject - and make you laugh, maybe. Out of the Closet
https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/out-of-the-closet
HAAAAA! That was a great read, Sharron! GOOD FOR YOU! Your son is going to think he stumbled into the wrong place. "Where's all the STUFF?" :) You will have the last, beautiful word there I think :)
Sweet story and lovely photos as always. My wife and I are going through this debate constantly. I come from a family I (mostly) lovingly call The OCD Hoarders Club (too much stuff for any one person to have, but at least it’s catalogued nicely). Jill, on the other hand, is sentimental about little when it comes to things and is the declutter queen.
I went to see the cherry blossoms this week and wrote/posted photos about the experience. Check them out if you get the chance. (https://open.substack.com/pub/glenncook/p/the-abcs-of-spring?r=727x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web)
I LOVED your photos, Glenn! Absolutely gorgeous..I could practically smell those blossoms. I was lucky enough to live in DC from 1999 to the early summer of 2001. I wasn't the avid photographer then that I am now, but I remember going down to the Tidal Basin when I lived there to walk under the trees. I was completely spoiled living there--it was effortless..even when it was a little chilly and raw. They are national treasures. And thanks for the kind words about this piece. The great stuff migration is NOT easy! I hope you and Jill can meet in the middle....over a box of the best stuff you both share :)