Saturday, I went to an estate auction. It was at a house just around the corner from where we live. It was fun to be there for awhile but it was also bittersweet, for several reasons. I had not been to an auction in over 20 years. Mom and I used to go all the time when I was younger. We had a ball. And sometimes Grandmother and/or Bobbie Yandle would go with us. I remember the first auction I went to. It was an auction of the estate of my cousin, Isabel Wolfe. I just fell in love with the whole process that day. I even made the mistake of bidding against Mom, but oh well LOL Anyway, we went to many auctions over the years and found some wonderful treasures. And there is always the thrill of outbidding someone and winning. I had to be careful because I could get competitive for something I didn't really want just because I wanted to win. Luckily that didn't happen too often.
Anyway, what got me feeling bittersweet about the whole thing was watching someone's entire life being sold and dismantled in a matter of hours. I realize that this is a reality of life, but it still made me sad in some ways. Lots of stuff that was for sale were things that someone used every day. I imagine that the family had picked through what all they wanted and this was what was left over. I cannot blame them for that because I might do the same under those circumstances. But I sat there looking at all of these things like pots, pans, tools, records, cds, books and it made me sad that no one who knew these people wanted any of these things. It's like you live your life and when you're gone, the things that made your day to day existence possible no longer matter to anyone who knew you. Like I said, it is a reality when someone passes that must be faced.
But, that was just a fleeting moment during the auction. I still find them enjoyable and will find other ones to go to. I did not buy anything because I did not come across anything that I just fell in love with and had to have. And also I do not need anything really. Most of what was there was stuff that I already had...or at least something similar to it. It did get me to truly thinking about all of this stuff that I hold onto. Most of it, I have no reason as to why I'm keeping it. Really. And, if something happened to me anytime soon, I am not sure I would want Michael to have to deal with all of this excess crap....I mean stuff. So, I have decided to give lots of these things away. I am going to begin the process of going through every nook and cranny and letting go of the unnecessary. That does not mean I won't keep the things that I love and want, but everything else has got to go.
I have started a photo album on Facebook for all of this free stuff. I will give each item 2 weeks to be up for grabs, then it will be donated somewhere. So, in essence, once it is on Facebook, I have let go of it. My hope is that someone will find a treasure for themselves or someone else. We shall see.
That is all
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