August 6, 2010 – As close to giving up caffeine as it’ll get.
Seriously, how much coffee can one man drink?
5 simple coffee mugs.
One from Theonion.com.
The others representing trips to Miami, Scotland, New Orleans, and Spain.
Seriously – I’m a guy who lives alone – the most I EVER need is a few coffee cups, and that’s if I’ve got one or two in the dishwasher.
In some ways, these simple cups represent why I’ve embarked on this project – the memories are SO much better than these physical items I’ve held on to. But, for some reason, in the past — I felt obligated to bring some trinket, some item back from every vacation to preserve the memory.
No more.
This year I’ve been Aruba and the UK, and last year I went to Costa Rica — I’m pleased to say no souvenirs were purchased for me to keep. The memory is so much stronger than any mere totem could represent afterwords anyway.
Obvious…in hindsight. But it’s amazing how these old habits are so ingrained in our culture – in the way we talk about travel.
It’s time for at least this traveler to change the conversation.
Here’s to preserving memories through low-carbon digital photos in the future.
August 5, 2010 – My birthday gift to myself – kitchen space.
Believe it or not, giving away the measuring spoons was the hardest part.
It’s amazing that, for no more than I tend to cook at home, I can amass so many kitchen gadgets.
Included in the above items are a teakettle, a toaster oven, and a bunch of silverware I NEVER should’ve moved to my new location. In fact, those three things were three of the FIRST things I bought in my new apartment. Why I ever chose to move the old ones to Dallas, I can’t imagine.
This will be the first kitchen purge, of which I suspect there’ll be several over the next year. Cooking is one thing I really enjoy doing – I guess like so many of us I tell myself I don’t have the time to do — so I tend to eat out — FAR too much.
And let’s face it, we all hate the clean up.
But looking at these items in this morning’s post gives me a reminder that I should make the effort (and the time) to cook at home more. It’s healthier, it’s better for me, and a good argument can be made that it’s better for the planet.
Looking at these items also makes me realize I need to invite OTHERS over to dinner more. I truly enjoy having people over, having good wine, engaging in great conversation. Again, I just always tell myself I don’t have enough time to do it right, to plan it, to put everything in place.
So, here’s an idea – employ more sponteneity…maybe PLAN less dinner parties, but HAVE more.
Now, there’s an idea worth celebrating.
August 4, 2010 – And the books begin.
The first, of what I suspect will be many, book purges.
Ah, books.
You see, books are my biggest “road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” I’ve got an entire bookshelf stuffed with books I was GOING to read sometime, that seemed like something I MIGHT be interested in, was a book I SHOULD want to read.
In a lot of ways, books are the part of the RID project I dread the most. I tend to define myself by what I know, what nugget, fact, or theory I’ve read about that I can connect to my job, my life, my relationships, — whatever. So getting rid of a book, especially one I haven’t read, feels like I’m giving up on knowledge I COULD have had.
In short, I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t want to feel that he’s missed out on ANYTHING – and that’s what the core of the RID project is about – choosing what to rid, so I make better choices on what NOT to rid.
Or better yet – maybe, just maybe…what to go get.
So – above sits the first book purge. I thought it’d be helpful to rid myself of several in the first attempt. Pictured above are some I’ve read, some I haven’t, (and never would have, if I’m honest with myself) and one that I read half of — and decided I just wasn’t into.
I’ll let you guess which is which.
PERSONAL ANECDOTE: Kicking off the RID project has been interesting – to say the least. I’m honored and flattered to have so many people sending me comments, personal email, and Facebook notes voicing support, comments, and opinions about the project. It’s nice to know what I’m doing has struck a chord with so many, so quickly.
I’ll be writing a post soon about the nature of stuff, memories, and people. The connections and what this project has already done. The question of whether we ever REALLY rid.
But, in the meantime, I wanted to just send a personal welcome and thanks to anyone who’s visiting.
Thanks, and tune in tomorrow.
August 3, 2010 – I throw away a box of office supplies. Practically an entire office.
My favorite item is clearly the wireless router - we haven't needed these for friggin' years.
It’s hard to believe I have so many items left over from when I ran my own small home-based business. File folders, binder clips, envelopes, miscellaneous wires, etc.
Placing these items in a box makes me think about technology. How rarely I PRINT now. How so many of these items represent kind of a time gone by – a world where atom-based envelopes carried within them atom-based invoices so that other people could send more atoms back to me in the form of a check for services rendered.
So much is done via email, PDF, etc. now that some of these items seem like absolute relics – and yet I find myself longing for the joy of receiving an actual letter, with handwriting, and a personal touch.
Might be a good metaphor for the RID project perhaps…as we leave some things behind, how are we replacing what truly mattered to us about those things?
Or, put another way, how do we lose the THINGS while preserving the INTENTS and MEMORIES that matter?
(A special shout out to my friend Molly, whose email support of the RID project led directly to the thought above.)
August 2, 2010 – Box o’ Random Crap.
Clearly, I've been toting around the blank VHS tapes for some time.
As a way of keeping myself honest, I’ve been holding on to a “Goodwill” box for a while — and I’m going to treat it as ONE post – not several.
This box is a random collection of picture frames, VHS tapes, trinkets, trash, refrigerator magnets…you name it.
While someone else may find some of this stuff useful, I don’t anymore. So it’s time to move it along – let it find its path to someone who cares about it.
A note: it’s amazing how freeing this project feels after only a couple of days – while I’m sure the choices are going to get hard along the way, the feeling of committing to it, and actually following through on it is giving me a bit of a rush.
Looking forward to tomorrow already.
And the RID project begins. And so appears the first “rule” of RID project.
The last 5 CDs I purchased
August 1, 2010 – 5 CDs, the last 5 I’ve purchased.
It occurs to me I have to set a rule for the RID project – CDs must happen in groups of 5 or more. You see, I have over 500 CDs – and it’d be SO tempting to cheat the project by turning it into a music blog.
Looking at these CDs, I have a couple of early thoughts:
1) It’s interesting in this age of digital music how I still want to OWN CDs. Whether it’s reminiscing about sitting on my bed as a teenager, combing through the lyrics, connecting the words to my life — or it might simply be about the fact that I value atoms over bits — either way, I seem to want to own a physical version of the music that I eventually rip and put on my iPod and iPad.
2) I realize I pride myself in being a listener of diverse sounds – from rap to folk, basically…ANYTHING but country. But even I dip into the alt country sounds….
3) Finally…this gives me a bit of pause as to some of the stress the RID project makes me feel. Day one – and I’m already sweating tomorrow.
See you then.
What I got rid of today. 