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< The Pursuit of Less: Anyone Else on This Journey?

Good Morning ~aftergibson, good to see you around!

~bartender? A hot coffee with cream and sugar. Thanks!

I don't even have the time or energy to enjoy these things anymore.

I think, that is the point. I have collected a lot of stuff in my life as well. Books. Journals. Tools. Cameras, analog. Bicycles and components. Some computers, electronic components and nerdy gadgets. Physics toys, among those a full featured small telescope. Musical instruments.

And guess what: I don't have the time any more. My fingers fail on me, so my excuse to keep the guitar around is vanishing a little more every day. I will not pick up my beloved guitar ever again, regardless of all the uncounted hours I did use it long times ago. It is not going to happen. Along the same lines: scanning my slides into digital format? It is not going to happen either. Converting my LPs to flac files? Not either. I bought an expensive turn table instead. I have made an experiment with analog film again, only to find out that processing has become mindboggling expensive.

I have reduced the number of books in my shelf. It is kind of hard. Noone near is going to pick up this old (and outdated) stuff. So most of it ended in the paper bin. Sigh.

I have gotten rid of many things, but not nearly enough. I will ultimately have to "let go" when I move into that last small appartment. The one where I will not walk out again. This may still be some years in the future. But I have become generous about giving stuff away.

Example: My Dad created a set of chess figures on a lathe, plus a board. Made from walnut and maple wood. I kept the set as a token of my Dad, who passed away >25 years ago. However, I'm not ever going to pick up playing chess again. So I gave the set away to someone, who is playing regularly. He gazed in disbelieve, when I handed the set over. These are fond memories to have, when going down the "less is more" road.

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~aftergibson wrote:

Good morning, ew,

~bartender, a hot coffee with cream and sugar for my friend here, please.

I read your response with a strong sense of kinship and understanding. Your words struck a chord. Life, it seems, has a way of reprioritizing our interests and necessities.

Much like you, I've also spent many years gathering and holding on to possessions, things that at one point or another held a deep significance to me. The sheer variety of items in your collection - books, journals, cameras, and particularly the musical instruments - resonate with me. They're all physical representations of who we were, who we are, and maybe even who we aspired to be.

The process of letting go is, as you rightly said, a hard one. It can be quite heartrending to part with things we've clung to for years. The images you paint of the precious guitar, the vintage slides, the nostalgic LPs, they all echo sentiments I've experienced myself.

And yet, there's an underlying beauty to it, isn't there? In this journey of decluttering, it's as though we're shedding layers, creating space not just in our homes, but also in our hearts and minds. The act of giving away possessions, like the cherished chess set crafted by your father, is so incredibly poignant. In your generosity, you've not only lightened your own load but also enriched someone else's life. The chess set, rather than gathering dust in a corner, is now probably bringing joy to someone who appreciates the game.

And your anecdote about the chess set did make me think. Perhaps the beauty of this journey towards less isn't about loss, but about redefinition. It's not about what we're losing, but about what we're gaining - memories, experiences, a sense of lightness, and a newfound appreciation for the things that truly matter.

Thank you for sharing your story. It has added much to my reflections on this journey towards "less."