Sentimental Value
Is there anything in your home that you absolutely would not get rid of because it has sentimental value? I’m not talking about irreplaceable family heirlooms, but about stuff that can be replaced with a similar item or not at all. Why am I asking?
I love to watch Clean House, that’s the show that cleans up a cluttered home by getting rid of stuff people don’t use or need. What surprises me about the people on the show is how attached they are to their stuff. Stuff they are not using and that’s buried under more stuff. The clean house crew literally has to pry items from their hands. People cry. I’m thinking what’s the problem, get rid of it! Now it’s possible I could be missing my sentimental gene, so I tested out my theory by walking around my place to see if there was anything I could not part with…….
The result?
I ended up putting mental price tags on everything! I don’t feel any emotional or sentimental attachment to this stuff. I have furniture, possible antiques, given to me from a relative, but if I had to sell it, without a second thought, it would be soooo gone.
So to tap into my sentimental gene, I have my daughter making a patchwork quilt with clothing from me, her dad and some of her old clothing. We’ll be collecting patches of clothing from other family members as well. Maybe when she’s done, I’ll start feeling sentimental about something, but for right now, my sentimental gene is MIA. I probably sold it at a garage sale. Just recently I asked my mother to bequeath her china that belonged to my father’s aunt to me because it’s a beautiful set and I would use it, but everything can’t have sentimental value, can it?
Please tell me I’m not the only one, are you the sentimental type? Is there anything in your home you would not part with because of its sentimental value?
My pictures (the printed ones) have lots of sentimental value. I also have a box containing all my souvenirs and old stuffs that reminds me of special events in my life. ^_^
Ciao!
Mckhoii’s last blog post..Parking Lots for Blogs
I have SOOOOO many memories (not mammories, this time!) attached to so many things….that’s one reason I have too much clutter! I shudder to think what it would be like to have to move someday! ACK!
Olga, the Traveling Bra’s last blog post..Ta-Ta (for now!) - Paris, France!
Hi Mckhoii, I too still have a box of pictures that I love to look at from time to time, but just one box….that I plan to have shipped off and scanned for me and put on a CD or DVD. I can’t imagine if I kept everything because it reminded me of something….then again, I don’t remember too much. Check out this photo scanning company.
That’s what the people on TV say Olga, but you can still have the memories without the stuff, right? Some of their stuff is even broken, but they can’t get rid of it. Interesting, these memories.
I’ve watched shows like that and always thought it was strange when people cry because they have to give something up. One or two things, I can understand, but everything in your house? I dunno…. I think at some point it IS a problem.
One of the few things I have an attachment to is this necklace my mom picked out for me. it was the last piece of jewelry she gave me and I would be heartbroken if I lost it. There was one time I thought I had misplaced it and I nearly LOST it. Whew. I found it a bit later.
Jillian’s last blog post..The Case of the Missing Propyhlactic
My scruffy old Skoal racing hat…you couldn’t buy that off me for 100 bucks..two hundred yes..one hundred no…:)
Jillian, I don’t blame you with that one, yeah keep jewelry. I do the same, but it’s interesting to watch someone with an emotional attachment to furniture. I’m trying to understand it, but I don’t get it. They seem to be okay after they see their new clean house.
Lol Mr. Bourne, I’ll give you 30…wait, I have to see it first. Is it the one you wear in your photo? Sometimes Niecy offers a furniture set in exchange for stuff people aren’t using and they still have to think about it. Interesting.
But, Natural, I am a “Pack Rat.” I had to build a second shed in my yard to house my immense collection of junk. I’ve constructed row upon row of extra shelving in my garage to house my endless collection of residue, stuff, mind-numbingly dull artifacts, and other pure junk. Fred Sanford had nothing on me, except that I am far better organized about my junk.
What do you do when you are such a hopeless mental case?
Jack Payne’s last blog post..Mass Home Foreclosures Coming–Don’t get Caught up in this Tide
What do I do Jack Payne? I’m calling the Clean House team, I’ll be driving the charity truck. We’re coming to get all your collectibles…wait on the front porch for me with your stuff on the lawn, we will eventually have the place surrounded.
Well at least it’s organized.
I used to have a hard time parting with things, but after having to pare down in a BIG way over the space of a few moves, I’m now very Zen about it all. I would like to keep my journals, of course, but I could live w/o the rest rather easily.
Lana’s last blog post..Recent Dreams
Why am I always looking for stuff to get rid of? LOL Well Lana, my thing is the less you have the less you have to worry about.
This is simple yet profound revelation that people have tendency to accumulate excess that serve no purpose in long run yet they are hesitant to get rid of it. I have similar article on clutter management that you may find interesting.
http://www.successsoul.com/2008/04/19/4-tips-to-gain-sharp-focus-with-the-rule-of-80205-for-hacks-and-anti-hacks-alike/
I like your blog and just subscribed to it.
Thanks
Shilpan
Shilpan | successsoul.com’s last blog post..4 Tips to Gain Sharp Focus with the Rule of 80/20/5 for the Lifehacks and Anti-Hacks Alike
Hi Natural,
What a great thought provoking question.
I’m not emotionally attached to much-a few photos and a piece of jewelry or two. I’m constantly looking for ways to declutter, especially after I saw a show on Oprah about a pack rat who had black mold, spider and mice nests, plus micro organisms that were causing health problems, due to the lack of air movement in the home. After that, I said, “what else can I get rid of?”
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Blogging - Year One - Lesson Five
Hi Shilpan, I think I visited your blog a few days back and left a related comment on clutter. I have to follow that link to be sure. Clutter Management = Get Rid of It
Thanks for visiting, I’ll see you here or there.
Barbara, I understand a few items, pictures, jewelry….I’m right there, but big ticket items?
Hmmm, tough one. There are some gifts given to me by my daughters that I will hang onto forever, and some love letters from my wife, but besides that…nothing really. We are not pack rats and clean house a lot. I love that show, the hostess is a trip–she cracks me up.
Joe, those things don’t take up too much space, so it shouldn’t be a big problem, unless you start collecting their art from K-12..I scan in some of my daughter’s work…she knows we can’t keep it all. I do try to get rid of it when she’s not home. Yeah Nicey is a riot…over the top, like Suze Orman.
Natural’s last blog post..Does Giving Make You Richer?
I’m with Olga and Jack Payne, I’m afraid. I’m terrible, awful, absolutely psychotic about ’stuff’. I have things I’m hanging onto since before we married - that’s over thirty years, folks!! Yikes…
But if I grit my teeth and get rid of something, sure as heck I’m going to want it desperately in the not-too-distant future.
Jay’s last blog post..Tired of Google?
You too Jay? lol Wow. You have stuff almost as old as I am. Well are you using the stuff or is it just piling up? It seems to me the less you have, the less you have to dust, clean, get cleaned, washed or worry about…I’m going to go throw out something I haven’t used…..
Some of it is just gathering dust, I’m afraid. I’ve been getting rid of a few things on Freecycle … but then I see stuff up there that I want, so the total doesn’t actually go down much!
Jay’s last blog post..A pilgrimage of snails
Well FC is a start Jay. I haven’t used FreeCycle although I have been to their website. I have two more things to get rid of myself…and then my unused stuff should be gone.
We have a few boxes of old photos that are irreplaceable (and I keep meaning to get ‘em scanned) but the most nonsensical things I don’t let go of long after the point where I should are things like old t-shirts. Y’know, the kind that are threadbare in spots and looks like hell but are so stinking comfy you just can’t turn loose of ‘em… I also have too many pairs of shoes - but I do wear most of them regularly.
Rob O.s last blog post..Busted Again
Ah, the comfy clothing. I keep a few “around the house” clothes or working outside stuff, but if I don’t wear it or use it…out it goes. I need to see what I can purge this weekend. Thanks for stopping by Rob O!