I know, I know, that IS a really clever title for a post on packing, nostalgia, and moving. Okay, now that my hubris has been revealed, on to the actual substance.
My wife and I are moving soon, and I’ve been slowly boxing up stuff to get rid of and stuff to keep. Before I got married about two years ago, I managed to move to five different apartments in five years. So I think I’m pretty good at moving. But one thing that still takes way too long is sifting through all the “important” nostalgic items. I have been accused of being a bit of a pack-rat, and I think that’s probably true. I have a few boxes of stuff from the past 26 years of my life–from old toys, my second grade journal, to papers from my college years–and I always have a hard time parting with any of these mementos.
One of my favorite nostalgic things to do is to read through old journal entries; there’s something bitter-sweet about remembering what it was like to be in middle school, high school, a freshman at FSU, a 1L in law school… I also have a lot of old notes and cards from friends, and I always get a little sad when I re-read them. Probably the hardest part of packing up and moving is sifting through these old papers and deciding what to get rid of.
Aside from written things, I also have a box of old toys. I’m talking Transformers, Battle Beasts, Ninja Turtles, Marvel actions figures–this is the good stuff my friends. While it can be tough to throw away old notes or cards, I have whittled this toy collection down to just what I want to hang on to indefinitely. I think it’s safe to say I’m a bit of a “kidult” when it comes to toys, so I really enjoy looking at these tangible reminders of my childhood.
I don’t often look through most of these old things, but when I do it’s a nice, somewhat sad, walk down memory lane. I think it’s fun to be able to hang onto this stuff to one day show my kids, or just to remind me of a particular time in my life, but it’s funny that I’m putting this up the day after all those excerpts from Don Miller on our culture of materialism. It’s stuff I don’t need, but stuff I like to have… I suppose it’s ok to keep some mementos, as long as I maintain the proper perspective. Maybe that’s why packing up is so hard to do. (Oy, again with the cleverness!)
Posted by Micah McMillan 
