And here is part 2 of our January purging efforts!
While the first half was mainly championed by me (as my husband was occupied with a series of post-burglary door-securing projects), the second half was mainly championed by him.
Go baby go!
It all took place in our 2nd bedroom, which is the residence of lots and lots of papers. Academic papers and articles my husband has printed out over the years, a file of my papers including old college stuff, childhood stuff, drawings, poetry, etc.
Papers are one of the hardest things to purge, because before throwing them away I usually feel the need to check each and every one. Which takes loads of time. And if I form an emotional connection with the paper in question that I’m reviewing because it stirs up memories of our early dating years, or my triumphant A+ in that one French class, then it becomes hard to throw away.
But we forged through! Not quite mercilessly . . . but a little mercilessly.
We got rid of well over 60 things–old checkbook covers.
My husband’s old Dark Shadows catalogue.
My old manuscript-style study of the book of Mark.
It was the most intense, amazing, satisfying, brain-stimulating study of the Bible I’ve ever done. And it involved lots and lots of colored pencils.
InterVarsity (the Christian campus organization that we belonged to as undergrads) loves their colored pencils. I remember thinking “how childish!” when I was first introduced to this technique of studying the Bible, but a mere 20 minutes after thinking this, I realized how great the color-coordinated marks are for seeing patterns in the text.
Sigh. I loved my undergrad life.
But it’s over. To the trash with you!
I also purged more old college syllabi.
Goodbye Intro to Criticism!
Jonathan Elmer did a fantastic job with that course . . . but am I really going to read through all my notes ever again? Probablement non.
When all was said and done, after this year’s purge I only kept the materials from one solitary poetry class and one lone French class. Maybe those can go next year, we’ll see.
Things that we uncovered that did NOT get purged:
My friends! Big Hermie, Little Hermie, Kaiser and Winston. I always thought of Kaiser’s name as spelled Cizer, by the way. It feels important that I should disclose how his name is spelled in my heart.
And my sheet music!
That ain’t goin’ nowhere soon.
This is just a tiny stack pictured, but there’s tons of it–a box full. Piano music, vocal music, choir music, classical guitar music, violin music. And it all must stay. That stuff’s expensive, man. And I totally want to take up the violin again once we’re in a more sound-proof apartment where I won’t die of guilt when the sreeching noise of my ineptitude fills the room.
By the end of our paper-purging evening, we had two huge trash bags going to the dumpster.
And it felt gooooood. With a couple empty file boxes, I was also able to find a new and safer place for my camera equipment.
Next year we’ll have to do 113 things, and I’m already looking forward to it. Not that we can’t purge throughout the year (we will! especially if we move) . . . but there’s something to be said about doing it as a joint project with your more-than-willing spouse, and feeding off of each other’s enthusiasm.
Until next year, Petronilla!