Stuff

  Today I attempted to reduce the amount of stuff that is no longer of value.  There are assorted papers in closets, and in boxes downstairs.  A great deal of it is no longer relevant or necessary or current.  I did manage to make a decent pile of papers in the recycle bin.  Of course if they are financial papers, the social security number needs to be removed, so that makes the work tedious.

Since I am no longer actively in the ministry,  I feel like I should begin to whittle down the books and papers that are not likely to be used again.  There is quite a bit of stuff to eventually get rid of.  I suppose I'm not entirely ready to part with all of that just yet.

We also have a pile of things that need to go to the Salvation Army.  I managed to fill up a box with books (non-religious ones).  Also, I produced a decent pile of shoes that are not likely to be worn again.  As sad as it made me,  I had to add to the pile my yellow dressy low heeled shoes that I love.  I kept trying to add these inserts or those inserts, but no matter what I added to the inside of the shoe,   the shoes simply would not stay on my feet.  For some reason, they are a Wide, and I no longer can wear a Wide,  or perhaps never really did.

At any rate,  I made a small dent in getting rid of an assortment of things that are no longer needed or wanted.

I do believe that our piles of stuff are smaller than most people's,  but it still seems like a lot of unnecessary accumulation.

Or course, there is still a corner in the basement of youngest offspring's possessions.   She has a house now, and should take it to her basement.  But I doubt that will be happening any time soon.

As people get older,  one does wonder what will become of all their possessions.  These days, it seems to be the trend that one's children do not want many of their parents' things.  And I do understand that.   I will keep working on the piles of stuff over time, parting with this or that, as I feel able.

 Even though I will never use them, and will probably never even read them again,  I have a box of academic papers that I wrote during my seminary years.  So much effort and energy goes into that, it's hard to just put it in recycle.   But one thing is for sure--- someday, someone will have to!

In the meantime,  I am going to make as many of the decisions as I can about what to discard and what to keep.