The things you own end up owning you
Almost a year ago I packed my wordly belongings up into a motley collection of cardboard boxes and stashed them in a storage locker in North London waiting to get shipped to the US.
Now, after various trials, tribulations, diversions and disasters too copious and distressing to enumerate ... I finally have it back and, fingers crossed, the only thing that appears to be broken is a Le Creuset roasting tin.
How do I feel? Bit of an anti-climax really. I've managed to live without the stuff for a year so clearly it can't be that important. I missed some of my books and my DVDs and my CDs - sometimes because I wanted to lend them to someone but sometimes because I had a sudden hankering for something I know I own. You have no idea how much I've been jonesing for the Nightmares on Wax "Dj Kicks" album in a completely weird way.
I've missed my carefully accumulated collection of cooking stuff and all my recipe books (up to 76 now I think). I've missed some of my games consoles (although not as much as I thought). And my camping and climbing gear's going to get used a fair bit now that it's here.
But I've also enjoyed the zen feeling of a nearly empty room and being one bag away from being to able move everything.
I suppose a first step is to triage each box as I unpack it and start seriously thinking about getting rid of some of it. Second step will be to rip the CDs and DVDs and then pack them neatly out the way.
I do love books though - the tactility and the smell. It's just that I've got so many of them.
Hmm, we shall see.
That said, now that I have my didgeridoo back I can forsee a spot of daytime neighbour bothering coming on.
I've missed my carefully accumulated collection of cooking stuff and all my recipe books (up to 76 now I think). I've missed some of my games consoles (although not as much as I thought). And my camping and climbing gear's going to get used a fair bit now that it's here.
But I've also enjoyed the zen feeling of a nearly empty room and being one bag away from being to able move everything.
I suppose a first step is to triage each box as I unpack it and start seriously thinking about getting rid of some of it. Second step will be to rip the CDs and DVDs and then pack them neatly out the way.
I do love books though - the tactility and the smell. It's just that I've got so many of them.
Hmm, we shall see.
That said, now that I have my didgeridoo back I can forsee a spot of daytime neighbour bothering coming on.
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