No, we’re not giving away the house but, as I’ve reflected on why it’s been relatively easy so far for me to find many things to give away, it’s partly because we’ve lived in the same house for over 25 years. It’s also because I’m both a pack-rat and a good organizer so I can store things in a very compact manner. It occurs to me that many people achieve the goal of decluttering their home by either having a yard sale or moving. Yard sales take a bit of time to organize but they do bring in some cash and spread used items around to other people who can use them – or store them or give them away when they realize they didn’t really need it anyway.
Moving, of course, forces the issue. Military families, employees of companies that require frequent moves, members of religious orders who move out of obedience wherever the need is, may keep their possessions lean because of these mandatory moves. Although moving is unsettling, it does have these advantages.
Of course there are those who move with barely more than the clothes on their backs – refugees, the poor and homeless, immigrants, those who have lost their homes through foreclosure or who live in war zones, etc. I guess this puts it all in perspective. I should be grateful that I have the luxury of extra stuff to give away.
…things gotten illegally? – like traffic signs? I don’t remember which of our kids liberated the seven large, heavy traffic signs (STOP, Men Working, Speed limit 25 etc.) that were stored in the garage. I don’t know where or how they got them. It’s probably best I don’t know. I listed the signs on an e-mail to neighbors, however, and they were a real hit. Several neighbor kids wanted them for their rooms or the fort they were building. I don’t know if it’s illegal to pass on things gotten illegally, but the kids were very pleased and at least they’re using them for something creative and wholesome.
