Prior to this post, I was trying to figure out exactly what I would write about. I wanted to do something that was appropriate for the end of the semester/beginning of our summer adventures, but I wanted to make it personal for all of us.
Saturday, I was packing up my room. My last final is on Tuesday, but I’m moving stuff out Sunday. I only live forty minutes away, and I’ll be working all throughout finals, so finding any other time to move was too much for my finals-plagued brain to think about.
I did a bit of Spring cleaning on top of packing, throwing away old papers that I thought I would read, but four and a half years later and it’s still in that “to read” pile. I threw out old gifts from an ex boyfriend … minus that Pink Ladies jacket … I’m still thinking about keeping that.
While I was throwing stuff away, I was struck by this thought: The only reason we are holding on to things from our past is because we think we might need them again some day.
This is a very obvious statement. Of course that’s the reason we hold onto things — old papers, old favorite poems from a class, old textbooks, sweatshirts from our ex, super cute puppy blankets from our ex, teddy bears from our ex, etc.
Go a little bit deeper. You’re holding on to part of your past because you think you’re going to need it again. You think that, somehow, they are going to come back and you are going to use those things in their honor or for their old purpose.
If you are holding on to things from your ex, maybe you aren’t over them and you are holding on to the off-chance that they will come back and sweep you off your feet again. But I’m in love with the guy I’m with now, and the other guy was so terrible. He treated me awful. He was in love with someone else. If these are things you thought to yourself, get rid of it all. Throw it away. Give it away. Donate it.
If you’re going to donate it, there’s a very easy place for you to take care of that while you’re moving out. Right now, the CCE and your residence halls have boxes sitting out ready to take any gently-used donations of furniture, CDs or DVDs, books (not textbooks), clothing, and probably just about anything that isn’t damaged. These items will be donated to the Upshur County Literacy Volunteers big sale they are having next weekend in Buckhannon! All of the proceeds from the sale will go to support the funding of Upshur County Literacy Volunteers, so what better way to get rid of your past than to let it become something meaningful for someone else with a fresh pair of eyes and help out a local organization that works to promote literacy in our area?
What are you waiting for? MOVE ON.