I'm a very sentimental person. I get attached to people and things. My emotions run deep and I often project them onto physical objects.In the old days, we had objects in our lives to which we could get attached. Like a pocketwatch your grandfather had his whole life. Or old letters from friends and family. Or an apron your mother sewed and used for years.
Back then, objects were repaired when they broke. There were repair-shops and skilled tradesmen who could breathe new life into them. Today, things are made to be disposable and you can't find anyone to repair an old typewriter. It's hard to even find an elderly immigrant to put new soles on your shoes. We throw things away now.
Also, many analog objects have been replaced by digital equivalents. You can "save" an e-mail message but you can't run your fingers over it, feel its texture and sniff its scent. Even concert-tickets are now flimsy, disposable bar-codes instead of printed tickets on thick paper suitable for collecting.
Which makes me wonder -- are people still sentimental about objects? Do you save any things because they remind you of loved ones or earlier times in your life? Or do people toss their old dolls in the trash and replace their smartphone when it gets a little worn.
How about you?
yes, i am! i have so many treats i couldn't bear to part with
ReplyDeleteI have so many things I hold on to .. but since I have moved a lot in my life I have been forced to get rid of something or the other. But I still store a lot of them back at my parents house. I am hoping one day I will have the space to keep it all with me.
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I have a house full of afghans my grandmother made. I can't part with them but they are used, washed often :) and loved, which I think she'd like.
ReplyDeleteI used to be extremely sentimental over physical stuff. However when you move around a lot in your life, you stop hanging onto stuff as tightly.
ReplyDeleteI still keep cards and notes. I probably hang onto clothing longer if somebody else bought it for me, but I try not to hoard the way I might have as a teen. Especially the stuff that isn't actually usable.
I probably have a very different living situation than most and have to maximize my space with the most usable and important things in my life. I do devote one drawer and the space-i-can't-reach-easy in my desk and closet to saving the little things. I also keep books under my bed. One thing I've never been without is my books.
I do firmly believe in repairing whenever possible. I've reshod shoes, altered and recycled clothing.
I am sentimental about certain objects. I have saved all the gifts my daughters have ever given me. In recent years on our travels, instead of buying souvenirs I have taken to selecting a rock...and then line the window sill of our dining room. They are visible reminders of our trips, but valueless to anyone else. I have my father's coat and Hawaiian shirt and I take great care of them.
ReplyDeleteI have some things I hold on to like jewelry and old letters, but I'm glad for some of the disposable stuff too like shavers and diapers!
ReplyDeleteI am so sentimental that I have a house full of vintage clothing, hats and other accessories. I know that they can't be replaced, so downsizing is difficult. If I was less sentimental I would have a more uncluttered life!
ReplyDeleteI'm sentimental about certain things, especially that pertain to my relationship with my husband, I have old notes and cards he gave me when we were younger and dating and those mean a great deal to me so I just can't throw them away. I also have a number of things from my childhood that I just can't let go of, dolls and a few stuffed animals.
ReplyDeleteI'm sentimental about photographs and old books. Everything else (like clothes and gadgets) seems disposable to me.
ReplyDeleteI am sentimental about some things, but sensible enough to know you can't keep stuff forever. I downsized dramatically during our last move and still have way more stuff than I need. But I tried to hold on to the stuff that was most important.
ReplyDeleteI am not sentimental, but I do take after my hoarder mom to a degree. I acquire things I won't use, and have a hard time getting rid of things. Typically my thought is "but it was so expensive" or "but it was such a great deal".
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to evolve towards a more clutter free existence.
Hubby and I were updating his will yesterday and he was trying to think of specific items he would leave to someone and came up with one. We just don't have that heirloom kind of stuff.