The Pain of Downsizing

Hail Followers - and thank you!

Happy 4th of July weekend! We (my partner Marg and I) are at home trying to pack up more stuff for the rig. (I have been told that REAL RVers use the term "RIG" rather than camper or RV or trailer or really small house with wheels.) We've been doing this since March; it's taking so long because I'm working on the road three weeks a month and trying to squeeze packing and moving into the space in between.

As we try to reduce two lifetimes worth of acquisitions from a 1,500 sq ft home into a 350 sq ft rig, I am learning an assortment of lessons. Should you ever decide to downsize your life, you may pick up some pointers here. (I'm sure I'll be learning a lot more as time goes on.)

1. Stop collecting every possible T-shirt, souvenir, knickknack, paddywhack and bones to give the dog, from every trip/vacation/weekend away. We have already outfitted a large selection of non-profit organizations' thrift stores with three garage-fuls of donations. (Who has time for a garage sale???)

2. In an entire lifetime, you can only use a limited supply of shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, emery boards, cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol, not to mention all those sample-sized amenities that travel home from hotel stays. Check your cache before you go shopping. And remember Safe Nest (for battered women and children).

3. This will be easier for the younger crowd that has been blessed with access to digital photography and MP3 players, but seriously, what the heck do you do with all those photos and photo albums and record albums and 45s and CDs? We had a double collection starting in the 50s and going straight on until technology kicked in. So, while I've been visiting casino clients, Marg has been digitizing EVERYTHING. That's right, every 33 1/3 and 45, as well as photos from our own childhoods, our kids' lives, the ghosts of Christmases past, vacations, and more have been reduced to a portable hard drive. (You should be very impressed.)

4. Your children will always find a place for your recycled furniture. Someone in my family still owns my Dad's favorite recliner from over 30 years ago. And last month, I shipped my entire bedroom and living room sets to my son in North Carolina. Yes, David, out with the garage sale and thrift store junk in your apartment and in with Mom's old! Enjoy ... I was 37 before I bought my first, new, matching bedroom ensemble.

5. It's really hard to give away the tchotchkes your children and friends gave you for every birthday, Mother's Day, Christmas and Hannukah. The candles, crystal figurines of frogs and buffalo, plaques that tell of Mom being the sweetest person in the world or you being an old fart. (OK, I DID keep my entire Wizard of Oz collection.) And the greeting cards. More than 50 years of them for every occasion (and yes, I did keep every one). Moving into a tow-along home means you have to depend on your memories and let the stuff go. There were some tears (mine), but there were also blissful stories in my mind that drifted back as things were carefully wrapped for Goodwill or finally tossed into the circular file. It was tough, but it had to be done. Hopefully, there will be many new memories from adventures to come to replace those left behind.

And so we clean out, clean up, and make room for tomorrow.

Can't wait to see what it brings!
Toby