Time Wounds All Heels

[hrj]

So the other day when I was looking for documentation of my early geekishness, I brought down from the attic two boxes labelled "keepsakes and misc. stuff" -- which is to say, an assortment of things that I didn't want to throw out but that I could think of no earthly reason to have everyday access to. Following my life-cleaning principles, I'm now sifting through the contents with a mind to putting the stuff I want to keep where it will be more accessible and getting rid of stuff I have no reason to keep. I have formed a new principle: by definition, an object is not "memorabilia" if you can't for the life of you remember why you're keeping it.

Item: one set really really ugly yellow polka dot curtains and valences. If I'm not willing to put them on my windows, I don't need to put them in my attic.

Item: One contact lens kit with assorted cleaning paraphernalia. My eyes don't tolerate contacts any more and the cleaning tablets expired 15 years ago.

Item: Part of the case for a camera I no longer own. (No explanation necessary.)

Item: One set only moderately not-entirely-attractive pink curtains with daisies on them. I think I had these in my bedroom when I was a kid. I'm not that sentimental.

Item: One therapeutic neck brace. If my neck ever goes into spasm again, I think Kaiser can give me a new one.

Item: Box with assorted pieces of '60s costume jewelry. Hmm. Keep, but I have a drawer in my dresser for stuff like this.

Item: Several glasses cases with long-outdated pairs of glasses in them. No clue why I would have kept these except that every time I get a new prescription I keep the old one as an emergency back-up ... and then forget to purge them when the next upgrade comes along.

Item: My very first driver's license. Ok, that's definitely a keeper.

Item: ... Wow! So I did still have that old College of St. Merrick banner stashed somewhere. I wonder what the current shire members would pay me to have it "disappear" again?

Well, that's probably enough for this session. Next, I may tackle the "box of assorted rocks and shells that no doubt commemorate some important event from my youth".

Comments

[kahnegabs.livejournal.com]

If you leave the glasses at your optometrist's office, there is a group that picks them up and distributes them to 3rd world countries. Someone else's prescription glasses are better than NO glasses at all for many people.

[almeda.livejournal.com]

They also do things like take them apart and pair up two lenses with pretty much the right scripts with a leftover separate set of frames (or locally-made ones) to make a working fairly-custom pair.

My grandfather spent several years as president of our local chapter of Lions Club, which is one of the groups that does this, so I'm kind of up on it. :->

[hrj.livejournal.com]

I'll keep this in mind (although it probably means I'll just re-stash them somewhere and then forget all about it the next time I have an eye exam).

[xrian.livejournal.com]

You could give them to me -- I need to have my eyes checked this spring. ;)

And I have GOT to see that banner in all of its.... errr.... glory.

I also have a book for you that I forgot to give you last weekend: _500 AD_. It's fiction, but it's supposedly the report from a group of Romans who toured Britain around that date. I found it more depressing than amusing, but you might be amused by it.

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

For "It might be useful someday" stuff, I sometimes look at it and say to myself "When civilization is brought down by the Great Zucchinni Famine, I'll need this."

[theiadora.livejournal.com]

Walmart Optical also does the glasses recycling

[hrj.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, so far I've managed to avoid setting foot in a Walmart, so this one's probably not an option.

[666-bookwyrm.livejournal.com]

You can also check your local library and Longs/Walgreens for the glasses. My library collects used glasses for charity and I've seen drop buckets at Longs and Walgreens.