For a good portion of my life, I’ve criticized pack rats. You know…those people who just hang on to every little thing that they touch, pretending that it has some sort of inherent value? Why can’t they just get rid of something? Would it really kill them to take a trip (or three) down to Goodwill and unload some of that stuff they haven’t seen in two years? How can you convince yourself that you’re going to wear that again? Yes I know, it sounds cruel. Pack rats abound, and last summer I finally counted myself as one of them.
The day before I left the great city of Atlanta, I drove over to the Penske truck rental location to take delivery of my chariot. It was a 26 foot, yellow behemoth that commanded the road as well as my full, unwavering attention. As I was driving it back to my house, I chuckled to myself, knowing that I would never be able to fill such a monster. I had initially rented a 20 foot truck, but the Penske people gave me a free upgrade because they rented out my truck to someone else. I thought it was nice of them. Well, it turns out this upgrade was actually an act of divine providence, because I needed every last inch.
Thats right, on a hot summer day in Atlanta, my good friend Chip and I (with the assistance of several lovely ladies) completely filled this beast with all the stuff that I had accumulated during my four years in the dirty (durty) south. The sight brought tears to my eyes, but not in a good way. I felt both shame and horror as I stared at the rolling container holding all of my worldly possessions. I felt even more horror when I realized that I would have to unpack all of it just a couple days later.
The drive from Atlanta to Milwaukee is anything but short and miles away from exciting. Keeping the truck from flying off the road consumed most of my attention, but when I wasn’t taming the animal I thought of all the stuff that was riding just feet behind my head. Mostly, I thought of how I would get rid of most of it to avoid having to move it again. I went through all the furniture in my head, and systematically eliminated much of it. Then came the smaller stuff…decorations, books, fake plants etc.
I’m happy to say that, since my arrival in May, I’ve been quite successful in my downsizing. I got rid of several pieces of furniture when I got up here, along with several bags of clothes and quite a few books. On most weekends, I still take about an hour to peek into my closets and drawers to find things that can be purged…it has almost become a game. Today, I cleared a few things out of my closet and then focused on my study. I looked around and thought to myself, “who here is expendable?” My gaze shifted to a shelf, upon which sat a familiar face, one that has glared at me almost every day of my life…a Chicago Bears bobble head doll.
This particular bobble head doll has had quite a life. He is old, dating from the 50s, and began his tenure as a decoration in my dad’s childhood bedroom. He has been a part of my room/house for as long as I can remember. Today, as I stared at him, I thought, “I wonder how much something like this will fetch on ebay?” I know, I know…you shouldn’t sell things like that. But still, my curiosity got the best of me and I did some research. Turns out these things can go for about $150! Amazing! I’m not even a Bears fan! I should sell him!
For a brief moment, I was excited at the prospect of being $150 richer. I got out the camera and took some pictures that would hopefully convince people to bid on him. Then, of course, he would go to the highest bidder. After I snapped three or four pictures and began the ebay post, a feeling of guilt came over me. I felt somewhat like a slave owner who inherited a conscience at the last moment. He stared at me with those familiar eyes, and his little smile just about cut me to the core. I couldn’t sell him…we’ve been through too much.
So, since I already had my camera out, I decided that I would make it up to my little bobble head doll by having an impromptu photo shoot. I had already dusted him off and cleaned him up, so he was ready for his closeup, so to speak. Is this a cheesy story? Yes, of course it is. I suppose the point is that downsizing is a good thing for so many reasons. However, it is important not to get caught up in the whirlwind and forget about those things that are truly important to you. Sometimes we don’t realize how important they are until we almost lose them. Now, because I’m sure you are curious, I give you a photo of my beloved Chicago Bears bobble head doll. I still have not named him, but I’m open to suggestions.
