Letting Go

[indiana_j]

I moved a lot while I was growing up. My folks even started early, moving with me for the first time when I was just over a year old; we went from Scotland back to the States once my mom's tour of duty was over and she was out of the navy for good. My dad had finished his up before she did. From there, we moseyed around the states (Pennsylvania, Georgia, Virginia) before we made for overseas again.

Cyprus. The Philippians. Back to the States were we bounced from DC to Maryland and then to Virginia. Then back over for what would be the last overseas tour - for the kids, anyway. Switzerland. God, I was a lucky teenager. Finally back to Virginia. Then college moves and then I moved out - we moved, as a roommate unit, a year after I moved in. After that dissolved, I moved here.

You end up talking to other government or military brats over the years or those who just moved around a lot. Two types of people seem to emerge from years of packing, shifting around and unpacking. Pack rats or those who detest stuff.

Generally, I fall under the second category. I don't like to hold onto things that I don't need (and the fact that I have a basement full of stuff is driving me nuts right now) and if something doesn't have a place, then I don't want it. I don't keep birthday cards or letters or anything like that for longer than a few months - my room gets messy because I'm not tidy but not because I generally have too much stuff and not enough space. Though that does happen because I do buy things.

The great exception to this general rule? Books. One of these days, I want an entire room devoted to my books - walls and walls of them. Right now, I just don't have a free room, or really, enough books to do that. Moving books is a pain in the butt but I hate giving up books.

Even if I detest the book.

The every few months or so bookswap with the local folks will help with that, I think. As will paperbackswap.com. It's an awesome site and I recommend people going there (link below - if you decide to sign up, please put my email, jen.watkins@gmail.com as the one who recommended it to you). Basically, you put up books that you're willing to mail out to people and when you do, you get a credit per book in order to get another book.

So for every book I give, I have the chance of filling that slot. It's making this whole getting rid of my awful books a lot easier. I don't even like them but I like having them. It's why the allure of the library has dropped - not only do I find it hard, especially in this county for some reason, to find what I like but then I have to give them back. *whine*

But. Yes. Click on the link and take a gander. It's an awesome place.

Comments

[maureenans.livejournal.com]

YES! I an the second too. I sort of packratted a little towards the end of high school because I was in the same place for 3 years, but during college - it all HAD TO GO.

When my mom said we needed more space, I threw out almost all of our baby clothes and toys she had saved. Instant space. I have reorganized countless closets and such (even my friend's) with giant trash bags being thrown out.

I tend towards paper clutter. Unopened mail or coupons, etc. I have a drawer where I keep my cards and such - blank ones my grandmother gave me to mail out and cards I receive. When that drawer is full, all the cards I received get chucked to the bin. And I tend to go on a mad card mailing spree :D

I've even donated books and sold them to used bookstores for more room. I lived in Korea with nothing except my star trek books (stupid movers mixed up my boxes). I have since gotten rid of all my star treks, but still. I REFUSE to get rid of "The Texas-Israeli War of 1999" though because it is an absolutely awful book, but the title is amazing. The Texans kidnap the American president so they Americans hire the Israeli's to get him back in a post-apocalyptic future.

[indiana-j.livejournal.com]

I tend towards - pieces clutter. Little things that slowly fill up the spaces and when you clean, you wonder why you even have them. And then I toss them.

...you're right. That is an awesome title.

[qodarkness.livejournal.com]

Wow! The crack they had to be on to come up with that plot is awesome in its power.

Or they did some kind of internet random plot-generator thing and decided to actually sit down and write it.

Either way, mind-altering substances had to be involved.

A

[maureenans.livejournal.com]

This was written before the internet. I found it at a friends house and they gave it to me.

I've never finished reading it. I TRIED. I just couldn't do it cap'n, I just don't have the power!

[qodarkness.livejournal.com]

But who won?!?

I hope to goodness no-one was silly enough to write a book where the Texans won. Because that would have been beyond crack.

A