Downsizing: the art of selling, giving, and throwing away.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind!  We have sold much of our stuff, gave a few things away, and have filled the trash containers quite a bit.  It is freeing to downsize.  The less stuff you have, the fewer things you need to take care of, store, move, etc.  Yet, it is also causes a person to reflect.

This is my friend Vincent and I.  Vincent was a gift from my parents the weekend before I went to college in '96.  He was won at a Boy Scout pancake breakfast or something like that.  We have traveled well together, but it may be time for Vincent to move on.

I like to consider myself a purger, one who purges, the opposite of one whom hordes.  As we have been systematically lessening our stuff, people continue to ask:  Aren't you going to miss... (your house, your car, your ____).  My answer up until now has been "no, not even a little bit."

But....

As we search through the things and throw away tons of stuff - the thought was, wow what a great memory.  We have lived a pretty amazing life!  I even told Jodie, when I die, there better be one hell of a slideshow!  Photo after photo, plaque after plaque, memory after memory and I started to think about the stuff we were purging...I'm not going to miss that letter jacket, I'm not going to miss that other jacket that I put: Football, Baseball on and then never made the team, I'm not going to miss any of this stuff.

Why?

Because, these are all great memories and I'm not getting rid of the memories - just the stuff.  Much of the little stuff I will keep, and the big stuff I just took a picture and put it on Facebook for later.  I don't need stuff to remind me of a life I once lived, because I am still living.  I'm not done, I'm not settling down, there is no way I am going to coast.  We have been called to sell everything and move to Kenya and that means getting rid of stuff.

So, Vincent, it's been fun good buddy.  I'll never forget you, the time you sat in the dorm room and watched me study 24/7.  Or when we moved to the apartment and continued to study.  Or when we moved to the house and really turned up the studying...or when you and Jodie first met and it didn't go over too well...and the ensuing "discussions" about how gross a dead squirrel was to keep in the house.  Or when Jodie and a few friends plotted and kidnapped you for months until I figured out that the emptiness in my heart was because you were missing.  Vincent, its been fun, but it is time to move on.  Best of luck buddy!  None of the other stuff that is leaving is getting a send off like you, so hold your head up high, and that remote control that you havn't let go of for 18 years, and sorry about the missing beverage you lost years ago...they just don't make beverages that size anymore.

To the rest of the stuff...good riddance.  I don't need you anymore.  As for me and my family we're moving on up.