But baby, these things have meaning! Come back!
As many of you know from 3 Ways or my sporadic tweets, I’m in the process of transitioning to NYC for a new gig. This past weekend was spent sorting through piles of paper, clothing, electronics, and general clutter in an effort to prep before the move next weekend. During the damn near 5 years I spent in Boston, I always had a lot of space to store things, run laps around my apartment, or thronx without breaking anything other than what she asked me to. I thought having space was the norm until I went to look at spots in NYC to see what my money would get me…
Yep. No more of that. What I paid in Boston would get me a nice shoe box studio with low ceilings and mouse droppings in NYC. This led me to the following ground-breaking equation:
Slim + Shoe Box Apartment + furniture for a full 1 bedroom apartment = misery = anybody’s house on the show Hoarders sans the dead cat
Where’s my Nobel Peace Prize? Anyway, my choice was to eff up my fantastic credit score by trying to ball out of control or get rid of some of the stuff in my Boston life raft. I chose the latter because I’m just so damn responsible and mature. I’m lying. I did it because I would have been embarrassed had anybody come by and opened my cabinets and/or fridge to find nothing but ramen, peanut butter, jelly, bread, and Adobo seasoning. I’m way too old to be employed in a salaried gig and to be living like that. So yeah, I had to get rid of some thangs.
I probably tossed 100 lbs of clothing, 50-60 pounds of paper, 30-40 pounds of food stuff, a mattress and box spring, and at least 3-4 electronics that I haven’t touched in years. And though I was tired, sweaty, and frustrated during the packing (pause) process, I still found little hot pockets of joy and/or momentary distractions. I came across a stack of cards that I’ve accumulated over the years from my parents. They were more proud of me than I was of myself at times.
I came across other cards from other family members. I need to do a better job staying in touch. I came across a bunch of old certificates/certification paperwork from my first gig out of college. I guess I learned more than I thought in that 3 years that I thought I wasted peddling products and services at reckless mark-ups. I found a little book from my pledging days with frantic scribbling inside. Damn, I hated the bruhz! I found a note from a despised ex that I’ve probably transported to 3 apartments in a box that hadn’t been touched in years. Even the worst people had have some good in them. I found a 175 foot tape measure. Why did I get that piece reduction surgery? I miss long jumping and running painful laps around the track. I found the first business card I had made for my escort service own venture. Ah yes, my first entrepreneurial failure. I found a lot of pictures. Those were the days.
And I’ll be transporting all of this and more to NYC regardless of how little space I’ll have now…well, I’ll transport almost all of it. So while I hate the process of packing and I know the move will be stressful despite my efforts, I’m glad I had a chance to get rid of a lot of old baggage and to reflect on some of the more positive and influential things that have happened to me over the last 5-7 years.
When you have had to pack, move, or spring clean, what are some of the things that you can never seem to get rid of? If you had to pick 1 or 2 things that you bring with you from place to place even though you hardly use or look at them regularly, what would those things be? And the more obvious question, do you find yourself to be more of a hoarder or someone always lightening the load in your life raft?
Wondering who’s wearing my old Enyce and Rocawear gear lookin’ 2nd hand fresh,
Twitter: @slimjackson Site: www.threewaystotakeit.com
When I moved from Dallas to where I am now, I donated a lot of stuff because it couldn't all come with me. I hate getting rid of stuff that I might need later and will hate to have to re-purchase.
OK, the only thing i'll say is that I hope you donated some of your stuff man. I'm sure you did though.
I'm not a hoarder, but i'm too liberal with giving stuff away. I end up having to buy it again later. Being a size 8 in shoes, I let all the #1's in my chapter raid my closet a few years back and they stole every black and yellow/gold pair of shoes I had. Then I got to go buy new shoes to play basketball in.
Mad random the other day I found my old g-shok watch from like 10th grade, I am trying to see if they can replace the battery. And I still have all my Jordans since pre-K, my foamposites and the Air Penny's too. But I spoke about this earlier, you remember.
"OK, the only thing i’ll say is that I hope you donated some of your stuff man. I’m sure you did though."
Yeah, my sign off line was supposed to indicate that I donated my clothing.lol.
when i moved from undergrad to my first apartment and from that apartment to where i am now there are a couple of things that i just couldn't part with. some of these include pictures from my high school and college, (some) tokens of affection from past "friends", newspaper clipping from my athletic days, certificates of academic achievement, etc.i even had one of those little books that you speak of.
once i leave where i am now i'm going to toss so much. the only thing i can really see me taking is my living room suite (since i just paid that off). everything else will probably get tossed.
it's horrible.. i'm not a hoarder. it REALLY is that everything has some sentimental value to me.. i'm talkin movie tickets, concert tickets.. love letters.. (the few i have) etc.. i use these as the sweet "Walk down memory lane" when i need to remember something good..
however, my books, and my notebooks are the things that will ALWAYS travel with me.. some are in storage.. but when i start packing, it always takes me forever because i gotta open them up and start reading stuff.. i send my old clothes to Jamaica (family always having babies) and my shoes can go with them.. but the MINUTE you start touching my books, it's O.V.E.R.!
i think about this all the time because i'm always wondering what i would run to save if my house were on fire..
i love my books…
i hope your move goes great slim…
Send old clothes to JA? Are you mad? I tried doing that once (bringing stuff when I was going to visit) and I was told in not so kind words that "dat nuh mek it". All my cousins seem to be miles ahead in terms of fashion, they certainly don't want my gently-used, no name, not NIKE or Adidas brand of clothing. Could be just my family though. Side note: I tried to give a b-day gift the other day (nice pair of shoes Airwalk a notable brand name in Canada/USA), you know what the kid said to me? Can I bring it back and get NIKE instead?
My bad…longer than I expected.
So true Andrienne…..
My family says the same thing. You think they would be greatful because the clothes are in good condition. But if it is not advertising a label, dem no want it!
@Andrienne and JC
i'm so sorry… that's the wickidest thing i've read all morning (but then again, i just got up).. my mom is the eldest of 14, so the attitude is kind of like "oh, i got jeans that'll match that.." or "that shirt looks great..!"
i DO remember when i was going down to JA when i was 9 and my uncle (at the time, he was around 15) asked my mom to bring down some British Knights.. we shut that down with a quickness.. NOW, my aunt will send clippings from the Payless paper.. and ask for those..
you know what's up.. don't play..
unnu tink seh cuz mi deh a fareighn, dat mi ave money…
CHUH!
unnu tink seh cuz mi deh a fareighn, dat mi ave money
TRUTE!!!
I feel you on the books! I still have books that I read in elementary school, the book that I wrote in 4th grade, everything. It's cool to see my reading progression. And they are soooo heavy to move.
Oh books! My whole apartment is decorated in the motif of books – they're everywhere. The mens were cursing me stink when they had to move them but I will not get rid of them.
I accumulate items like nobodys business! I actually itemize them and mark them up so that I knwo exactly what they are and if they hold value. I'll usually go on cleaning binges when I get frustrated with space in my room, and throw away items I know I wont miss.
Its tuff though, especially with magazines and other reading material. There was a span of 6 months where I didnt get a chance to read my GQ and theyre still here waiting to eb read. Alas, they may get tossed, lol.
Your move seems so exciting!
*shrug* I like moving.
I have to clean out and donate every so often. I just hate to have stuff taking up space or keeping things that aren't being used that are needed by others BUT I can't completely boast about being charitable because I have belongings stored all over the country. I have storage in Atlanta, things in Hawaii, a couple of boxes at my brother's & SIL's home in Michigan and so much at my parents home in Tennessee sooooo, basically… I still got too much stuff.
I think the one thing that's always moving around w/ me is my baby blanket. Although I NEVER use the thing, I guess seeing it is just comforting and nostalgic enough to get me through the months of being away from family.
When i moved from AL back to NY, i donated quite a few things but i still had a lot of stuff…i also have quite a bit in NY between my mother & father's places…i'm a hoarder though, everything seems to have sentimental value to me…but i try to get rid of what i can so i have room for new things…its a difficult task for me though! I sold my mattress & box spring along with the other stuff i had with it to my chapter soror & it ended up going to the chapter…smh, lol
I hope you donated that stuff you got rid of!
I have issues w/ parting with clothes. When I moved from my dorm in DC back home to LA, I thought I could merge all of my "school" stuff w/ my "home" stuff. And, by the look of those boxes of clothes & shoes that have been sitting around for the past 2 years, I was wrong, lol. I even bought a new dresser to handle the clothing overflow. *hangs head in shame*
I do have plans to donate a lot (and I do mean a lot) of clothes & shoes by the end of summer. Probably take most of it to a battered women's shelter.
I used to be a big-time hoarder…to the point where I saved every condom wrapper from every time me and my first love thronxed. Now I'm more like my buddy Dr. Jay – too quick to give stuff away and end up having to replace things.
This was scary. Every condom wrapper though?
For real. Did dude know that you were doing this? If I found somebody's stash of used condom wrappers, I might suddenly become hard to catch up with.
I can't remember if I ever told him or not. But the thing that was so great about him was that he would have just shaken his head and chalked it up to my weirdness.
i'm saying though. o_0 lol
C/S -I saved the condom wrapper from my first time and kept it in a box labled 'Ex Stuff'.I even found one of his dreads in a ziplock bag…Not sure what the purpose of this was or how i got it but..*shrug*
And this is why I love this site…whenever I comment about something weird that I do, there's always someone else who has done it or something even weirder
I'm slayed by the condom wrapper and random dred in a ziplock.lol.
Like I said over @ 3 ways…I'm getting married in 47 days an dmoving in a bout 30…I ain't packed not NAN THANG…I scared, lol. I look around my sapce and say "it's not so bad" but then I remember I'm moving into a 1BR and NOT BY MYSELF and go "oh hell!". I don't even know where to start. I've got a lot of sentimental things that I could leave at home with my mom but yet and still, it's going to be weird leaving them, especially my daughter's things…woooosah. I don't know how I'm going to do it.
congrats on your upcoming nuptials
yeah, a 1BR with 2 people? I don't know how you are going to do it either! good luck, chica!
Luckily, we have a loft apt so no bows will be getting thrown ( at least most of the time, lol.)
I am curious to see how that 2 people moving their lives into a 1 bedroom is gonna pan out. Please keep me/us updated on that. Just had a chat with somebody today about something similar.
Being military my whole life I am used to moving every few years. I like that I get to purge my life of unnecessary items, and as I get older I make it point to only acquire things that have an actual function. However, there are a few things I cannot let go of….
*Photos & negatives (those dark brown, light sensitive strips that have a photographic image "burned" on to them, yeah those)
*L.A. Times front page of Tupac's death & 9/11. The fact that I find them equally tragic perplexes me.
*My life's collection of stuffed animals. I just can't see them go.
Vogue and W magazine. I keep a ridiculous collection from 2000. I just keep buying bookshelves… It works b/c the shelves add space and look good in my study area/room.
I keep my old journals from high school, books from college, papers from grad school, and every little piece of colored paper that my sons have dragged home since pre-school. They're now in plastic storage bins in the garage.
I wish I could get rid of some of the bootleg CD's that my husband is always dragging home. They clutter up the house, there are little white discs with no ID on them everywhere. You can use them as a coaster. We will never watch them again.
You just gave me a weekend project idea.
Good luck.
My name is Sheree and I am a hoarder.
However, I cannot stand clutter and mess so you won't see any of my things sitting out. I am the queen of storage solutions. I've spent a small fortune on closet systems, shelving, storage bins, baskets, etc. Like MrsTTG and redlady821, I have a collection of stuffed animals from my childhood (I blame this on my mom) and books/notes from college. I recently purged my old magazines, only keeping the important Time and Essence mags that led up to Obama's election. I don't like throwing things away only to wish I had them later.
Congratulations on the new job and move!
I keep cards, pictures, my photo albums, books and that's about it. oh and my nalia displays like paddles (even though I have a ton of stuff in my parents attic). everything else is pretty much disposable. I have a huge pile of clothes I've accumulated for the almost 3 years of living in FL that I need to donate. I should probably add some old pairs of shoes to that as well. I'm not that much of a hoarder, clutter makes me insane but I do have a bunch of stuff I probably could get rid of but its organized so my pseudo OCD isn't bothered. lol
I'm not a hoarder, either. Whenever I move, I usually get rid of a ton of clothes. And that's about it. I keep all of my momentos from HS, undergrad, and law school, and I keep every letter or card my parents send me. I still have birthday cards I got in undergrad from family and friends, and a few special gifts from some "special people."
Now, I'm moving to a new, bigger place in June, and I keep saying I'm gonna throw some stuff out. But all I can think about is buying new ish. lol.
A couple of months ago, I packed up my ATL apartment to put stuff in storage and go traveling overseas. I gave away what I thought was a lot of clothing to goodwill, but still ended up taking a lot of stuff to my mom's in Orlando. There, I tried to move all of my stuff into my old room that still has all of my stuff that I left there when I went away to school in '98. Needless to say, some stuff had to go in order to make room. So here are the things that I have a hard time letting go of:
1) T-shirts: I have t-shirts from high school band (1996 – A Motown Review), high school flag corps., I have old family reunion t-shirts, t-shirts from trips that I've taken. Mind you, I don't wear t-shirts anywhere except for around the house and to bed, but still, it took some real negotiating with myself to let go of some of that stuff. Ended up giving away like 3-4 garbage bags full of t-shirts.
2) cords, plugs, and stuff like that: I have a box full of cords, 9 volt battery power thingys, adapters, plugs – I have no idea what any of this stuff goes to, and yet, I cannot seem to throw this stuff away b/c I KNOW that as soon as I do, I'm gonna need it and have to go out and spend money to buy new ones. Probably not, but that's my irrational fear.
3) Tapes: trying to unpack in my old room, I had to free up some drawer space. There is one drawer full of all my old tapes (and I used to have much more, so I guess I already got rid of some sometime w/in the last 12 years). I could not… did not… throw these tapes away. The studio tapes, I have no excuse b/c I already have all that stuff on CD, but what about my old school dancehall reggae mixtapes. Those things bring back memories. Nevermind that I don't EVEN OWN A TAPE PLAYER!! People keep telling me that you can digitize that stuff so I guess one day I'll get around to it. Until then, the drawer goes untouched.
All of this really bothers me b/c my mom is so much worse (she re-washes Ziploc storage bags), that ish is annoying, and I see that part of her in me. I need to nip it in the bud.
I keep sentimental stuff too, cards, birth announcements, funeral programs, etc. but that stuff isn't up for negotiation. I also have a copy of a break up email (yeah, classy dude) that I received back in 2003 and have moved to at least 5 or 6 different apartments. I really can't explain it.
hahaha! I have tapes and 45s! with no method of playing them. *hangs head* and your mom is related to my stepdad…he totally washes ziploc bags too. *smh* LMAO. I have developed this habit–especially the quart sized ones for when I travel. I know I could just buy more…
I do not hoard random papers and cords and things like that. I usually keep them for a week, forget why I kept them, throw them out and then get mad at myself for throwing them out.
When I came home from college, I purged my closet and started anew. Just about everything went to Goodwill/Salvation Army. I need to make another donation actually.
I have every academic piece of writing I've done since 12th grade (comes in handy suprisingly) and every book I've ever bought (barring textbooks). I WILL NOT throw out my GQ collection anytime soon as every once in awhile I look through them for that one tip that I forgot
oh I have a few old issues of Vibe too. the Tupac/Big beef one…and a few others before the millenium. I just did a purge of magazines to recycle. I keep them all for a year, then go thru them and keep the ones with articles or covers I liked. The Michael Jackson Time Issue is still on my coffee table though…I'm keeping that one forever…
These comments are so hilarious! I had to stop at Yonnie3k and her cords because I just threw out a bunch of random adapters, 3-mile long telephone cords (haven't had a landline in 10+ years) and a mess of other inexplicable cordage a few weeks ago
My cassette tapes (one large FULL storage bin) irk the hell outta me but I cannot part with them – is there a way to convert them to mp3 (must be free/cheap) :'-(
Papers are my biggest issue, they are all organized and isht, most are unnecessary but contain just enough personal info that I can't simply toss in the trash – I'm just too lazy to shred, especially those old GD checkbooks
I must admit – I'm a cord horder. But Seriously though – you never know when you're gonna need a spare Coaxile cable (those are the cords that you screw into your cable box). I have like 13 USB cables. My cord collection is also extremely diverse. I have Mini USB to USB cables of varying length. I have female/female USB cables. I have not one but two 30 foot HDMI Cables. All sorts of extension cords – ones for indoor and outdoor. I have a zillion AC adapters, of all types of voltage.
Nah, for real, for real, they come in handy.
Much luck on the move, Slim!
"When you have had to pack, move, or spring clean, what are some of the things that you can never seem to get rid of?"
For me, it's clothes. I always do that "I might wear this some day, even if that someday is in the year 2023". I'm getting better at it though…I've already packed a bag of clothes to give away during my biannual "clean up for the season transitions" and a lot of those clothes were clothes that I would've kept last year. Hell, would've…I did. lol, obviously. I usually take my fall/winter (um just winter in the Chi) clothes downstairs in my storage when it's spring/summer (just summer in the Chi) and vice versa.
And while I hate moving, it is THEE perfect reason to clean up and do away with ish you don't need so you don't have to lug that mess to your new place.
Anyway, I like to call myself a packrat. Because hoaders are those mofos on A&E that keep EVERYTHING. I keep a lot of things, but not cat dookie. And the one I'll always remember from that show is the old lady who had a house full of ish, then bought the house NEXT DOOR…to fill it up with more mess. WTF, someone coulda lived there. I respect my elders, but that's some hot steaming mess.
*snaps fingers* Packrat! Yeah, that's it. That sounds a little better. Like Pamela Packrat from "Fred Penner's Place."
When i left NYS to come to the DMV for grad school I donated 6 full Hefty bags of old clothes to a house for runaway/abused kids i worked at in undergrad. Even now I give away old dress shirts to coworkers. The only thing i can't seem to part with is ties. First year at the job, I might have had 5-6. Now it's well over 200+ and growing…
:0(
I have never had too many issues with hoarding or being a Packrat. The only thing that piles up is paper (mail, paperwork, etc.) I have to purge that nonsense all the time. I remembered when I was moving from Portland at 22, I found all my paystubs from the year I worked at McDonald's when I was 15. Yep, I learned from that and purge more frequently now.
me too..I am constantly throwing away mail and sifting thru mounds of miscellaneous papers. I haven't moved since 2004 when I moved from DC to philly…. and the beautiful thing about that was the movers we hired boxed and packed everything..we were there to guide them but they did all the work….
I just bought a house, so I guess in the coming weeks I'll find out how much of a packrat I really am.
Congrats on your purchase!
Congrats on the move! I kept everything when I moved from NJ to VA and loved it! BUT…7 years later I got a professional to come in and "declutter" my condo. Granted, he was my gay (sorry intricate label needed here, but that is his real job) cousin and knew me inside out so he knew what to trash and what to save, so one day while I was at work he decluttered the HELL outta my palace, and I have never been happier and dont' miss a thing!!!! I think it only worked for me because he knows me, not sure I could have any outsider do it, I'd be gripping on to all kinds of stuff declaring "but I NEED that!" so it all just worked out for me, LOL
I literally just moved my stuff into storage I gave away a lot of food, liquor, and a few other things. I have a huge magazine collection, books, memoirs from high school and books I love books I ain't giving them up! I lived in that apt. for 8yrs so I had a lot not to mention mad stuff from my catering business…. I had to get 2 storage units now I am in the process of going back through and reorganizing them so I can just have one o_O
I think I filled like 5-8 wardrobe boxes… I cursed everytime I lugged down a box full of books and magazines… at some point I will finish my tear sheet project of articles and recipes and bring down my magazine collection… *shrugs* maybe…
One of the most creative shoe storage ideas I have seen may be the use of an entertainment unit placed at the end of a king size bed. It really is typically tough to uncover a bench that will span the entire width of a king size bed but this unit fit perfectly along with the owners employed the "cubbies" for shoe storage.
i do about 2 purges a year of clothes, shoes, accessories and such.
i hang on to papers and such until i can sit down and properly sift through (so the same with email folders). this happens every 4-6 months.
what will always make the move with me:
photo albums. (i take pics of everything, spent a small fortune getting reprints for my friends..digital pics are a godsend, but there is something about printed pics).
books. im a reader and could never fathom throwing books out. (unless i hated it and will never read again)
my stuffed toys. my fam was homeless for 6 months when i was younger, so i lost of lot of things from my childhood. the ones i have now i was able to save or i've recieved as gifts.
I like this website…good info. Will save it as a favorite. Do you have a facebook page?
Hi, just doing some browsing for my Airwalk site. Lots of information out there. Wasn't what I was looking for, but cool site. Have a good day.