It was over a week ago that I wrote about how are lives have been changed by the arrival of another member of the household (actually a very close member of the family) who had to leave their previous accommodation to return here. All is very well but there has been a tremendous amount of sorting out, rearranging, getting rid of things, getting new things to accommodate the old things which are remaining, and trying to organise ourselves and our new routines.
It has brought into focus exactly how much we have gathered over the years – books, music, clothes, instruments, utensils, ornaments, pictures, photos, things from our parents and grandparents – the accumulation of our lives. Honestly, it’s a little shocking – do I really need so many pillow cases, and if I wrote nonstop day and night for a hundred years I would still never run out of paper, pens or pencils! So the winnowing has started, somewhat feebly to be honest, but we have also had another guest as well, we do have two birthdays next week, Christmas events are happening all around, and of course there’s actual Christmas inn ten days time!
I have been reflecting on possessions and the many and various reasons why some of us accumulate so many and why it’s so difficult to let go. It’s not the financial worth – in fact some have absolutely no monetary value at all, it’s the emotional attachment, clinging on to memories, clinging on to people who are no longer with us. This reminiscent mood also took me back to a wonderful six weeks when our lives were very different. Nearly eight years ago we had a holiday we’ll never be able to repeat, we went to Tasmania.
We took a very large suitcase and some other luggage and that was all we had. We spent ten days in Hobart, and then took a hire car and travelled up to the north of the island and then toured back taking in the central and eastern areas. On this tour we left our big case at the hotel and travelled light with our smaller bags. The hotel we stayed in Hobart was a Travelodge and we had one room with a bathroom and also a small cooker so we could make very basic meals as well as the usual coffee and tea. On our travels we stayed in bed and breakfast places and small lodges.
We had the most wonderful, brilliant, unforgettable time and yet we had so few possessions. I confess I did buy a few books, but I had my e-reader with me so I had a whole on-line library. We washed our clothes when we could, and we tried not to gather too many souvenirs – a couple of shells here, an unusual stone there, and hundreds of photographs.
I would love to repeat the experience, but unfortunately we’ll never be able to, but maybe I could try to emulate our life-style in some way… sadly I actually don’t have any great expectation of that!!
Lois Elsden 