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Trimming the past
Jun. 2nd, 2004 09:12 amLast night began the process of sorting through my belongings, in preparation for moving. I'm sure many people have boxes in their apartments or houses that have been there through several moves, filled with pieces of their past, covered with dust from several past moves. I made the mistake of opening several of those boxes. If I hadn't opened them, I would never have remembered their contents. They would be gone, one less box to move from house to house. I did open them, stirring through the ashes of the past, flashing back to times gone by, some better forgotten.
It's strange that while I have no trouble throwing away old gaming books, I hesitate when I reach the box full of old scouting badges, including my merit badge sash. The uniform is long gone, along with the camping gear and manuals. The little box is about all that's left. I can't keep everything, my new space will be limited. Some things will have to go. My old run of Excalibur? Probably. My Sandman issues. Not likely!
I've generally left a clean slate behind me when I've moved into different stages of my life. There was very little at the time that I wanted to hold on to or carry over with me. Grade school to high school, high school to college, State College to Boston. I have a few mementos and keepsakes from each section of my life. Eventually, they will be distilled down to their essences, enough to fit into a few boxes, to be kept as a legacy to look back on. Who knows, perhaps even to show my kids what their old man looked like when he was their age.
It's too bad more of these things aren't worth something. Sadly, by 1980 copies of Gamma World and Top Secret aren't in good enough condition to be worth much. And who uses 1st edition Vampire books anymore? Ah, well.
It's strange that while I have no trouble throwing away old gaming books, I hesitate when I reach the box full of old scouting badges, including my merit badge sash. The uniform is long gone, along with the camping gear and manuals. The little box is about all that's left. I can't keep everything, my new space will be limited. Some things will have to go. My old run of Excalibur? Probably. My Sandman issues. Not likely!
I've generally left a clean slate behind me when I've moved into different stages of my life. There was very little at the time that I wanted to hold on to or carry over with me. Grade school to high school, high school to college, State College to Boston. I have a few mementos and keepsakes from each section of my life. Eventually, they will be distilled down to their essences, enough to fit into a few boxes, to be kept as a legacy to look back on. Who knows, perhaps even to show my kids what their old man looked like when he was their age.
It's too bad more of these things aren't worth something. Sadly, by 1980 copies of Gamma World and Top Secret aren't in good enough condition to be worth much. And who uses 1st edition Vampire books anymore? Ah, well.
