Every couple of years, I purge clothes, taking a few bags to Goodwill. I buy less clothes than I get rid, overall, so I actually have less clothes now than I had 20 years ago.
And about once a decade, I purge papers. I am awful about keeping papers. I’m terrified of throwing something away I turn out to need. And it happens: living abroad, I found out that the US required me, when I filed my taxes, to declare how many days I had been in the USA for the year in question, and I’d thrown away all my boarding passes.
I also really cherish examples of my work or personal messages from friends. So much of my work – my best work – is on paper. Losing that is like losing a part of me. When I go through copies of my work: press releases, newsletters, reports – it’s like being renewed. I’m reminded of not just who I was, but who I am. It’s cheaper than therapy.
It’s purging time again: I’m determined to finally get rid of the large boxes of papers that have sat next to a filing cabinet for years. And the filing cabinet is half empty; I purged that a while ago. I’m now down to one large box and one small box of papers.
This hasn’t been easy, because a lot of what is in those boxes is deeply personal: letters and cards, with messages to me that I cherish beyond measure. I’m being as ruthless as I can… but I also have loved going through it and remembering people and places and my accomplishments. I found so many letters and cards from friends over the years. Some I read and laughed about and then was able to chuck… but some, I just couldn’t. Not yet.
This is one of the things I found: a parking pass for the DisneyWorld back lot in Orlando. I was visiting a friend who founded Haxan Films and was a co-producer on The Blair Witch Project. I felt so important this day.
Before I moved to Germany, I let a family member talk me into getting rid of a lot of books. I regretted it almost immediately, and then really regretted it when I came back to the USA and realized just all that I’d given away. I do clean out books periodically, but if I hesitate at all, the book stays, period.
Sorry to whomever has to clean out my stuff when I die… I really did try to do right by you…
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