Friday, May 4, 2018

just a while longer

 I'm thinking it is time for a big clean out. I have been saying it for years now but this time I mean it! I have got to get rid of a bunch of this stuff that has collected over the years. I'm talking tools and other treasures. Yes, a thinning out of the " good " stuff. You know, we all have it and it is difficult to part with. The difficulty lies in having a yard sale is it is a lot of work and there is no way I'm just throwing it out. What to do, what to do? In case you didn't catch it, the work in having a yard sale is my latest excuse. Oh, and I don't really have a place for parking so it would be a public safety issue as well. I'll think about it some more and devise a plan.
 As I said I have been thinking about this for a good while now. It was brought to the forefront again by my Mom. She recently moved from Florida to Georgia. As a consequence, she had to downsize, as they say, and get rid of some of the good stuff. It was quite difficult for her and I can relate. I mean, we are related, but I'm talking about the good stuff. And now she is considering giving up her car. She will be 89 this year and not feeling too confident in her driving skills. The struggle is making that choice. Even though she doesn't come right out and say so I know it is a surrender. I'm not certain I would want to surrender that freedom. It has been 48 years since I earned the privilege to drive an automobile and remember the exhilaration of obtaining that freedom. It is a tough one to give up. Still, it is a part of aging I suppose and has to be dealt with. Mom was a bit of a rebel in her day as many women never learned to drive when she was young. Many others waited until after they were married to do that. There was the whole " homemaker " mentality still around back then. The ladies were still pretty much expected to get married, have babies, and take care of the house! No need to drive, you weren't going anywhere without your husband.
 And now I'm feeling like I have reached an age where I should begin that downsizing just a bit. I do have a bunch of stuff in the attic that I'm quite certain I will never use again. The wife is right, I really don't need one hundred screwdrivers and ten socket sets. All good stuff mind you! Old electronics and books. There is the miscellaneous good stuff too. Engine parts, specialty tools, and collectibles. I have a chest full of my old Navy uniforms, guess I won't be needing them anymore. Plenty of wood scraps that may come in handy one day, you just never know. It's time for them to go!
 There is an upside to all of this thining out. It will help in remembering exactly what I do have and where it is. Was a day when I remembered where I laid that screwdriver down, now not so much. It won't hurt to get organized. I have so much stuff to keep track off, and to be honest I use the bulk of it so infrequently it is getting to be a problem. But it is that thought of surrender that troubles me. I have already paid someone else to change the oil in my car. Yes, I have ramps and all the necessary tools but not the ambition. I surrendered. I did change the front wheel bearings so I'm not out of the game completely, just in for the bigger plays.
 I don't know, the more I write the more I'm second guessing this idea. Maybe I better hold off, I could still be called up to the majors as a sort of pinch hitter. Yes, I had best hold onto that good stuff for just a while longer. The old uniforms, ah, they can go I won't need them. One trip to the goodwill store ought to take care of that. Sounds like a plan.

No comments:

Post a Comment