Hidden Treasures: A Pocket Full of Memories and More

English: A picture illustrating a flap pocket on a grey lounge suit jacket (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         Over the past couple of months we've looked at all sorts of storage places where items that jog memories can be found.  That's been the purpose of this series.  Where do we find the inspirations and documentation that can help us to reconstruct the parts of our lives that we want to put into memoir form?  Rummaging through those places where we store the artifacts of our lives can be like a treasure hunt sometimes.  And sometimes the treasures can be found in odd and unexpected places.

          More than once I've heard the story of someone who buys an old coat at the thrift store and discovers money or something valuable in a pocket.   I'm sure you've heard those kinds of stories as well.  I've never found a true cache of value in the pockets of clothes hanging in my closet, but sometimes I wonder.

          I can recall times when I've had considerable amounts of cash that I've hidden in places where I figured no one would find it.  Paranoia can set in sometimes and I've done irrational things especially when money was  somewhat abundant.  I can be absent minded at times.  Sometimes I wonder if maybe I've hidden a wad of cash somewhere and have forgotten where I put it.  I get these strange feelings sometimes.

         Occasionally I'll find some change or maybe a dollar bill in a pocket.  No great find there, but these finds fuel my suspicions.  I've never gone through all of the clothes in my closets to undertake a grand search for lost treasure, but I'm pretty good about checking pockets if I'm putting my clothes in the laundry basket or giving them away to Goodwill.  It's unlikely that anyone would find money stashed in anything I donate.

        Now and then I'll find old receipts or something on paper that will bring back a memory of someplace I'd been the last time I wore an article of clothing--typically a coat or jacket.   If one has a lot of clothing this is not especially an unusual occurrence.   I have a lot more clothing than I ever wear or probably really need so finding things in coat pockets can happen.  Maybe I need to check a bunch of pockets and cart a load off to Goodwill?

         It's possible that one day I'll find something more interesting than an old receipt in a pocket.  In these days when money has been tighter I wouldn't mind finding a roll of bills absent-mindedly stashed in a pocket, a shoe, or some other long unworn wearable.  It could happen.  I just hope I'm the one who finds the treasure.

          Have you ever hidden money or other valuables in pockets of clothes hanging in your closet?   Have you ever found valuables in a pocket?   Have you used shoes as hiding places?   

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Letting Go of Stuff

Gramophone / Phonograph / Record Player - Engines in Enginuity, Coalbrookdale (Photo credit: ell brown)

   
      We've been talking about the material accumulations of our past.  In the last post the topic was magazines.  I've had to get rid of so many magazines over the years and have many more that now I must decide upon.  Most of us just don't have the room to keep everything we've ever owned, nor do we need to keep much of the stuff of our past.

           Let's face it.  Most stuff is just that--stuff.   Our amassed stowages are often of little real value.  Our perceived treasure is another man's trash.  Deciding what to keep and what goes out the door can sometimes be a dilemma, but sometimes those difficult decisions have to be made.  What things are the things you should keep?

           Some of the things to keep are obvious.  Things of true monetary value, irreplaceable heirlooms that will be treasured by future generations, or items of potential historical importance are probably worth hanging onto.  But what about the sentimental keepsakes?   Or the things that we can attach to specific eras of our lives?

          The many thousands of books, cassettes, videos, vinyl records, CD's, and DVD's that I own are something that I've started taking into strong consideration in recent years.  If I were to move they would be just something else I'd have to pack and carry with me.  If my wife and I ever downsize our living space, keeping these items would most likely be out of the question.  Would I miss them?  I probably would at times, but these are the sorts of losses that I can live with.  After all I can't take my stuff with me when I leave this world.  And will anybody want these relics of outdated technology when I've departed?

           I can remember when I got rid of all of my models and model kits when I was in college.  This was the passion of my early teen years and represented so many hours of pleasure.  Years later I sometimes regret having gotten rid of those things.  For one thing there could be some monetary value in them.   Maybe.  The fact is though that I couldn't hang onto those boxes of things and my parents wanted the boxes moved out of their house.  I can understand that.  Too much of anything requires downsizing.

         Then there was my American Flyer electric train set that I sold for $100 back in 1977.  That was an extensive set that my parents had added to every Christmas starting in 1956.  When I sold it I needed the money more than I needed the train set and the boxes were taking up space in a storage area at my parents house.  The train set wasn't being used anymore so what was the point of keeping it.  Now I've seen some of the individual train cars online selling for more than the price I sold the whole set for.  I might be making a fortune selling the set off now, but that would have meant keeping all of it for many years.  If I had only known, but sometimes we just don't think of those things.

      What do I get rid of next?  My stamp collection?  A lot of good memories there, but my research tells me that you don't get much out of stamp collections.  My collection is taking up the equivalent of about five medium size storage boxes in my closet.  I haven't looked at any of that collection in years.  Most of it I probably haven't seen in decades.  I'll have to think about that one.

        Are you a collector?   What things do you like to save?   Do you plan on leaving anything to anyone after you die?    What have you gotten rid of that you wish you had kept? 

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House Cleaning to Dredge Up Memories

So Many Memories (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   
           Not that I've been doing much house cleaning of late, but it's something that is high on my list of things I need to do.  And I'm talking declutterization, organization, and those types of things.   Going through life's accumulations can be like an archaeological dig.  Or a study of historical records.  A journey through the past.  Housecleaning can be functional as well as interesting and entertaining.

        The many piles and caches I have strewn about my house and tucked away in remote places normally unseen by anyone who might step into my abode are not necessarily messy.   They're more like an organized chaos.  A visitor who might just happen to notice our home amassment would probably think it seemed organized, but the fact is that everything is merely piled neatly.

         Whenever I do tackle one of these piles or areas, I typically start getting bogged down in reflection.  Memories start welling up as look through my possessions.  Sure, some of it is easily discarded, but other items become more difficult to decide upon.  Should I get rid of this or not?  That question pops up repeatedly and usually this will bring about a decision to postpone the decision.  It seems like whenever I do get rid of a questionable item like this, somewhere down the road I'll wish I had kept it.

         Sometimes I think I should just open a museum.  Or maybe I should rent a small warehouse.  Organizing and documenting can be a huge undertaking, but for preserving memories properly it's a necessity.

          Do you  have a lot of personal memorabilia?   How do you organize your accumulations?    Do you enjoy going through old stuff and dredging up memories?




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