Lovely Junk Or Useful Pain

Aug 3

While cleaning up, one begins to find objects accumulated over the years that are of a few varieties.

There is the out and out junk that is immediately tossed. That’s the easy stuff. The wrappers, the broken toys, the school work that is no longer pertinent.

Then there is the the items that hold significance but are not really too useful. Those are the cherished toys and so on that at one time were loved, but are no longer. These often will get kept for sentimental reason or donated so that another could love it.

Along the same vein, there are those items that were very amusing but for a much briefer amount of time than the previous category. In my mind I see the gag gifts, the awards, and the other one-time items that were cherished but for a moment but are now essentially trash.

Contrast this with those items that were dearly beloved before but are now regarded with a bit of distaste. Perhaps these are gifts given by an old flame or a long-lost friend. In that moment and for some time afterwards the item was important, but as a result of happenings in your relationship with the other person(s) involved it has changed its meaning.

So what is more worthwhile, a piece of (essentially) junk that holds memories of a grand time or an item that is actually useful but holds more bitter memories?

I am not one to pack like a rat, but I like to keep special things. I actually think that I would opt to save the latter over the former even though I would enjoy the former more often. The hard things make us who we are, and I like to remember where I came from. The journey is important. What say you?