We have an extraordinary amount of stuff. My wife collects many different categories of things, some of which are expensive, breakable, or both. I collect a few things too, my biggest offense is books, of which I have a ton (figuratively, literally it's more like two or three tons).
My Dad, a Marine for eight years and a child of the depression, hated to throw anything out if it had a possible function. Old refrigerator compressors, lawnmower chassis, etc. He had a project in mind for every one of those damn things too. Like the tire pump he made out of the refrigerator compressor and lawnmower chassis. The only problem is, he lived to be only 83 and needed at least another hundred years to complete all the projects he already started.
When he was just past the stage I am at now, my wife and I tried to help him sort through things. I wanted to take everything to the dump without malice aforethought. I was tossing stuff on the truck when Dad got in my face and said in effect, "Leave me be. I've had this stuff for a long time and this is hard for me."
I understand now. |
