The radio station I listen to has a great morning team. Any group of people who can speak to me prior to ten and not make me hate them...well...impressive.
This morning their "pondering" of the day was this: what did you get rid of at some point in your life that you wish you would have kept? One caller had gotten rid of Star Wars stuff that now rakes in big bucks as collectibles. Woops.
So I started thinking...what did I get rid of that I wished I would have kept? Kind of a rough question for a packrat who so rarely ditches anything at all.
But I came up with something.
Right after college, when I was still very new in my job, I met a guy whose job interacted (daily) with mine. We were both kind of new in our respective places, and we stumbled along together, trying to figure out how to do what we do. Shop talk gave way to flirting and eventually we went out a time or two.
Though I don't have a great number of dates in my past, he definitely wins the prize for most romantic. He would send me emails just because...a fax now and then just to tease me or to tell me to have a nice day...and he would often email me to see if he could call me after work. I was a giggly mess for weeks.
When things did not work out between us, I was so upset that I shredded every single email (because I'd printed them for posterity), every fax, every note, EVERYTHING. And now I SO wish I'd not done that. Even though it didn't work out - it was still a part of my life and I hate it that I shredded that whole part.
So that's mine. What's yours?
4 hours ago
7 comments:
Kinda the same thing...when I broke up with a boyfriend I threw away all the pictures, letters, gifts...everything! It would be fun to see all that stuff today. I did keep the jewelry box he sent me from Korea (he was in the Army). It is beautiful and still sits on our bedroom dresser...full of jewelry today! ;)
Well no need to throw away the practical, right? I threw my stuff away partly in anger/hurt and partly because I wanted to forget that ever happened. But now I think...man he was so great and thoughtful and I've got nothing to show for it! So no more throwing away pictures and notes. SCRAP EM!!!
...or keep them in your attic for your teenage kids to go thru and read! Which has happened at our house! Along the same lines, when all my friends signed my yearbooks and shared all our "secrets"..little did I know that 20+ years later my kids AND THEIR FRIENDS would enjoy reading them at their slumber parties!! Hmmm, just somethin' to think about! :)
Bekah:
Kinda fits in with your blog post about Jim Elliot, doesn't it?
:-D
For me, keeping such things kept me from moving forward. I threw away some things and kept a couple. The man I spoke of was older, fit the bill of "tall dark and handsome", and had the means to take me some impressive places as well as give very nice gifts. (For the sake of convenience, I'll call him "Scott".)
We had even talked of marriage and children. Then, one day, it was over. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. And yet, I held onto the the things that reminded me of the good times...and the pain.
Every person I dated after that time I compared to "Scott". No man was good enough. Even after I met the man who is now my husband, some almost 8 years later, I was comparing one to the other. Then it hit me...why was I doing that?
Did I really want someone like the person who devastated me in such a way? Did I want someone so indesicive? Did I want someone who really wasn't the type of person whom I could count on?
It was then I started seeing people for who THEY were, not how they were not Scott.
This fantastic man I married over 20 years ago has been so loving, caring, and yet practical. I not only love him...I admire his strength, compassion, and dedication.
SOOOOO, that is why I don't think it was such a good idea to save those letters and things. Romance is great, yes! But love in the face of real life is much better.
Oh, and I throw away lots of stuff every day that I can. I can't take it with me when I'm gone. It's just "stuff".
Did I just hear Bekah gasp and scream at that last paragraph????
:-D :-D ;-D
Oh, I forgot, I DO have a box I keep some special things in: like a baby blanket my husband's grandmother crocheted for our son; postcards from different places and people, stuff like that. And my new item for my collection once I stop displaying it in my living room? My precious card from Bekah!
All those size 6-10 clothes that I sold to consignment shops or gave to friends! Although I'm sure that I needed money more than clothes that didn't fit me and the friends that inherited my smaller wardrobe were grateful, now that I'm back down to that size I wish I had kept them! There are hundreds of dollars that I'll never see again and clothes that are discontinued that I'll never be able to buy again - not to mention all the $ that I've had spend to replace my wardrobe! I gave away & sold some of my bigger sizes, but I was smart enough this time around to keep some of my prize pieces for maternity.
Jaye - Oh boy, I hadn't thought of THAT!!! Thank goodness I coded things!
Tsofah - oh the gasping and screaming! lol. Actually you gave me a lot to think about - which i pondered between gasps of a different kind on my run tonight. I must send you a new card too.....
Sarah - but I'm so proud of you for being a the place where you CAN regret that one! YOU GO GIRL!!!!
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