Jeff and I have moved a number of times during our marriage, but our next move is pretty different from all the rest. In the past, if I wasn't ready to commit to getting rid of something or if I wasn't sure if I should keep it, I simply boxed it up with everything else, to deal with "later." It was easy to become "sentimental" about things I just didn't want to think about. But, this time, with a vision for minimalism fully in place and not the slightest clue about where we might eventually land, I am eying everything with a critical eye. I'm not completely disregarding sentimentality, but I'm adjusting and fortifying my definition of the word and giving myself permission to let go of so much more than I ever have. I don't have to keep every item I received for a wedding gift, even if I got it from someone I adore. It is wonderfully freeing, and I shall continue to purge in the next couple of months.
However, there is one area that is still giving me some trouble, and in which sentimentality continues to rein: old print pictures. My children will never face this dilemma, having been born in the age of digital photography, but for me, it is truly agonizing. The intellectual side of me says, "Digitize your photos, get rid of the originals and enjoy all the extra cabinet/bookshelf/closet space." But my heart cries, "But digital pictures, in a folder on my computer, just aren't the same!" Now, mind you, I never really pull out the old photos to peruse, and I don't have long family history lessons with my kids about the (de)merits of 80s hair and clothes (though I probably should). But, still, the paper photos just seem better somehow, and I seriously struggle with the thought of not having them sitting there collecting dust or sticking (not artistically) to the pages of old photo albums that have seen better days. Most of the photos are not the least bit organized, so I'm a little worried that I'm just being sentimental because I don't want to think about it, and because I don't have the time to organize them enough to get them digitized.
So, I turn to you, dear readers. What should I do? What have you done? How do you minimize the clutter/stuff but keep the memories? Have any of you gone completely digital? Did you have to go into therapy afterward? Help me out. I'm running out of time, and I need to make some serious decisions about this soon.
I vote to put them in Rubbermaid boxes and beg your parents or in-laws to store them. There's nothing like grabbing a handful of old pics and taking a walk down memory lane. I just cannot give up real pics.......
ReplyDeleteOh my, I remember talking about this with you. Did you ever figure it out? I would have the same problem & most likely keep every last one of them.
ReplyDeleteMara, I decided to scan them myself, and though I haven't gotten rid of the originals yet, I think I will. (Or have my less emotional hubby do it!) It was much harder to decide what to do than to do it! (Though it has taken quite a long time--and I'm still not completely done!) I'm so glad I decided to do it. I love that I can edit them now, and, since we have them running as our screen saver, we are all enjoying so much more than we ever did before.
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