I'm in a new chapter now, so a few years ago I let go all my thousand yards of quilting cloth and even sold my sewing machine after having a wonderful time teaching, designing, and creating. I'm a knitter now too but I make sure not to accumulate too much. I even sold my sewing tables and my cutting tools and notions. Very good! I'd rather be outside, riding my e-trike. I had a pivotal moment several years ago when our son died. I said to myself "from now on I'm not going to do anything I don't really want to do." So if I'm with you or writing to you, you can be sure it is exactly what I most want to do at that time.
My one friend with Stage Four cancer wrote us all today to discuss what she's going through. On one hand, I was annoyed to discover from my occupational therapist how much my hands have lost in strength. On the other, I'm not getting chemo to save my life. Life is so much about perspectives.
Yes! It really is so liberating to let go of stuff. We used to shop garage sales and find all sorts of things to buy. That was back in the day when we had 5500 sq. ft of house and 2600 sq. ft of carriage house which didn't have any carriages in it so was free to fill with whatever we wanted. We've downsized a couple of times since then but I still find things that make no sense to keep. The massive move of stuff to others may be over but that river keeps flowing with odds and ends that just need to go to someone else.
When we stop buying stupid shit, people stop taking the world’s limited resources to make them. How many elephant statues do we need when the real elephants have no habitat?
Dropping in to let you know that I read everything you write! We've not met, more's the pity, but when a new email arrives from Substack, I give a happy little whoop or wiggle: "Julia posted!"
Right now you're my 4am pumping buddy - my twins were born in February. Before that, you helped maintain my sanity through an incredibly difficult pregnancy. You're pretty much the only writer I want to read at stupid o'clock in the morning; your words are variously kind, provocative, brave, and inspiring. Thank you for writing, and thank you for inviting us along for the ride.
Perhaps the younger generation is more wise than us boomers, when it comes to $.
They generally have less money than us oldsters. You cannot accumulate too much stuff, if you are eeking out an existence. Perhaps they are not lured by the cultural symbols of "success," realizing the creation of all that stuff is destroying our sacred earth...
I'm in a new chapter now, so a few years ago I let go all my thousand yards of quilting cloth and even sold my sewing machine after having a wonderful time teaching, designing, and creating. I'm a knitter now too but I make sure not to accumulate too much. I even sold my sewing tables and my cutting tools and notions. Very good! I'd rather be outside, riding my e-trike. I had a pivotal moment several years ago when our son died. I said to myself "from now on I'm not going to do anything I don't really want to do." So if I'm with you or writing to you, you can be sure it is exactly what I most want to do at that time.
My one friend with Stage Four cancer wrote us all today to discuss what she's going through. On one hand, I was annoyed to discover from my occupational therapist how much my hands have lost in strength. On the other, I'm not getting chemo to save my life. Life is so much about perspectives.
Yes! It really is so liberating to let go of stuff. We used to shop garage sales and find all sorts of things to buy. That was back in the day when we had 5500 sq. ft of house and 2600 sq. ft of carriage house which didn't have any carriages in it so was free to fill with whatever we wanted. We've downsized a couple of times since then but I still find things that make no sense to keep. The massive move of stuff to others may be over but that river keeps flowing with odds and ends that just need to go to someone else.
When we stop buying stupid shit, people stop taking the world’s limited resources to make them. How many elephant statues do we need when the real elephants have no habitat?
Dropping in to let you know that I read everything you write! We've not met, more's the pity, but when a new email arrives from Substack, I give a happy little whoop or wiggle: "Julia posted!"
Right now you're my 4am pumping buddy - my twins were born in February. Before that, you helped maintain my sanity through an incredibly difficult pregnancy. You're pretty much the only writer I want to read at stupid o'clock in the morning; your words are variously kind, provocative, brave, and inspiring. Thank you for writing, and thank you for inviting us along for the ride.
Heartfelt thanks for this, Marynn. I so appreciate the kind words!
Stuff is just stuff. Let it go! Joyful memories last forever!!
I don't know where and how to start. Seems so overwhelming. Maybe document it all and prioritize?
That would be the compulsive me!
Perhaps the younger generation is more wise than us boomers, when it comes to $.
They generally have less money than us oldsters. You cannot accumulate too much stuff, if you are eeking out an existence. Perhaps they are not lured by the cultural symbols of "success," realizing the creation of all that stuff is destroying our sacred earth...