So Why Didn't We Throw it Away?

Woohoo, I managed to start my Spring cleaning....slowly but surely it will get done. The latest buzz though is decluttering. I have seen a lot of articles on the internet about decluttering ie how to get rid of things that you don't want.  There's even the Japanese method of decluttering (how different can it be between cultures?) - "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kondo. She asks a very valid question when deciding what to get rid of  though, 

and then there is "Stuffocation" by James Wallman who lives by the motto 

"Memories live longer than things"

When I first started the blog train, "I Didn't Throw it Away", I was quite surprised how a number of bloggers interpreted it to mean "hoarding".  It did get me thinking, "Am I a hoarder?" and so I did some research and asked a few friends. 

So, Am I Hoarding?

I would say hoarding is a behavioural disorder (maybe medical condition?) during which you have, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America "persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value". In fact, there are symptoms associated with hoarding including inability of throwing away things and severe anxiety when throwing things away.  Hoarding does impact your enjoyment of life - as a friend put it "if you have several sewing machines that you use for different reasons, or display for their beauty then that's not hoarding ...... But if you have a compulsion to keep accumulating for the sake of it, it constricts your daily life, is a source of embarrassment and brings you no real joy, I would say that is a problem."

I think over-buying / consumption and at the same time not throwing away also contributes to hoarding as well.



So Why Didn't I Throw It Away?

I think the questions "Is it still useful?" and "Do I still need it?" help me decide whether to throw something away, but as the blog train began, I realised that it was also the memories that we had with these items that made us keep them. 

Quotes from Gingerbread Mum, Peipeihaohao, Dominique's Desk, LapisWilliam and Fafafoom
(from top L, clockwise)

It is interesting how objects become much more than things we use when we know their stories. They now form part of our memories - our darkest hours and our happiest moments - a reminder of what could have been, and a reminder of how we were or had forgotten.  Someone asked but if an object holds many memories for me but I don't have any use for it, can I throw it away? My response would be not to throw it away, but perhaps pass it on to a person who would show the same (if not more) love and care for it - let that person have the joy of creating their own memories and stories with it.


Missed the blog train? Read the posts here:

1 Dec  Green Issues by Agy  
2 Dec  JoeyCraftWorkz 
3 Dec  Gingerbread Mum
4 Dec  Mum in the Making 
5 Dec  Dominique's Desk 
6 Dec  Prayerfull Mum 
7 Dec  My Lil Bookworm 
8 Dec  Simply Me 
9 Dec  Mum Craft 
10 Dec Mad Psych Mum 
11 Dec Growing with the Tans 
12 Dec Mums the Word 
13 Dec The Kam Family  
14 Dec PeiPei.HaoHao
15 Dec Xavvy-licious  
16 Dec Adopt an Ami 
17 Dec Angel Hearts Crafts 
18 Dec Lapis William  
19 Dec Rhinestic's Knick Knacks 
20 Dec Hello, Mrs Tan

Christmas Break!!

2 Jan  Rude Record 
3 Jan  Refab Diaries  
4 Jan  Creating My Way to Success 
5 Jan  Recycled Fashion  
6 Jan A Vintage Crafty Adventure   
7 Jan Cucicucicoo     
8 Jan Sum of Their Stories    
9 Jan Fafafoom     
10 Jan Vicky Myers Creations
11 Jan Little Did You Know 
12 Jan Mountainsno
13 Jan Penelope Cake Fashion
14 Jan The Little Treasures
15 Jan Swoodson Says
16 Jan Notes to Ginny
17 Jan Purfylle  and  Feather's Flight

I Didn't Throw it Away!

It's the launch of the I Didn't Throw It Away Blog Train, and I am trying to unlock the reasons why we keep certain things yet readily throw away others. Is there a story behind every item that we keep? How do we form that special connection with them, and why does it last so long? Every day from today until January, one blogger will share with you the things that he/she has kept for over 20 years, the stories behind them and why it wasn't thrown away. 

To kick everything off, the blog train will start right here!  For all the posts in this blog train, please click here or on the icon at the top!

There are quite a few items in my household that are over 20 years old. In fact we still use them and I am really amazed that they have lasted so long. You have probably seen a few in my earlier blog posts  - the thin leather belt that my mum had worn when she was a young lady, and the stuffed toy that my grandma gave me when we first met. 

I've never threw these in the bin - the monkey is still on my bed as it reminds me of my gran, while the belt is still in good condition and I have worn it countless times. I think I didn't throw away the belt because it is unique and it's at least 40 years plus!  They don't make them like this any more!

Childhood Books

I didn't own that many books when I was a child. In fact, my dad encouraged us to use the library (something I still believe in) - he said it was a waste to buy books, read them once and then leave them on the bookshelf, plus we couldn't afford space for books in our small flat!  These are the three books that I owned as a child. If I remember correctly, these were birthday presents.

I loved reading the books and didn't want to part with them even when the family shifted homes and we needed to clear out some stuff . I think my attachment to the books is because of what my dad had said about knowledge (ie books) should not be thrown away, my dad gave me his books (all academic) from the 50s and 60s, so I have a little collection of his. I actually used one of the books (trigonometry) to help me in my A-level maths because it explained everything clearly compared with my school texts!  I'll definitely be passing them down to my son!

Vacuum Lunch Flask

When we lived overseas, we experienced cold winters. As our school tuck shop did not provide proper meals, I would take a lunch flask with my hot lunch to school. I remember mum waking up early in the morning to prepare our lunches and store them in this Aladdin vacuum flask.  Mum made a small pouch to go with it!  

Yes, I still have it, and yes, I actually used it when I started working! It still works and it is in tip top condition. I used it again when my son was on his first solids!  This is the only vacuum flask that I have used. 

It was made in Nashville, Tennessee. Apparently, the factory no longer exists but production has shifted to another part of the USA. 

Why Didn't I throw Them Away?

I definitely have a strong connection with the three books, and they bring back childhood memories. Whenever I read or show them to my son, it's my way of sharing with him my best childhood experiences. Even the vacuum flask conjures up images of my mum's creamy corn soup, and steaming hot soy sauce chicken with rice on a cold winter's day. 

Follow the Blog Train

This post is part of a blog train hosted by Green Issues by Agy on "I Didn't Throw It Away". We have become such a throw-away society, but there are some things in our households that we still keep. Why is that so? Perhaps this blog train can unlock the reasons behind it! Follow the daily posts on this blog train and read about the stories behind the things we have kept for many years and why we didn't throw them away.  

Tomorrow Joey from from JoeyCraftWorkz will share with us the stories behind the things she didn't throw away. Joey is a stay-at-home mum who loves to craft and sew, and lately she has taken up quilting. 


All posts will be shared on my social media platforms!

1 Dec  Green Issues by Agy  
2 Dec  JoeyCraftWorkz 
3 Dec  Gingerbread Mum
4 Dec  Mum in the Making 
5 Dec  Dominique's Desk 
6 Dec  Prayerfull Mum 
7 Dec  My Lil Bookworm 
8 Dec  Simply Me 
9 Dec  Mum Craft 
10 Dec Mad Psych Mum 
11 Dec Growing with the Tans 
12 Dec Mums the Word 
13 Dec The Kam Family  
14 Dec PeiPei.HaoHao
15 Dec Xavvy-licious  
16 Dec Adopt an Ami 
17 Dec Angel Hearts Crafts 
18 Dec Lapis William  
19 Dec Rhinestic's Knick Knacks 
20 Dec Hello, Mrs Tan

Christmas Break!!

2 Jan  Rude Record 
3 Jan  Refab Diaries  
4 Jan  Creating My Way to Success 
5 Jan  Recycled Fashion  
6 Jan A Vintage Crafty Adventure   
7 Jan Cucicucicoo     
8 Jan Sum of Their Stories    
9 Jan Fafafoom     
10 Jan Vicky Myers Creations
11 Jan Little Did You Know 
12 Jan Mountainsno
13 Jan Penelope Cake Fashion
14 Jan The Little Treasures
15 Jan Swoodson Says
16 Jan Notes to Ginny
17 Jan Purfylle  and  Feather's Flight

Blog Train - I Didn't Throw It Away!

A few days ago a friend asked whether I had anything in the house that was at least 20 years old - a garment, accessories, electrical appliances, maybe even furniture. She wanted me to take a few pictures and asked me to share the stories behind them. This got me curious - what makes me keep these items and hold on to them for so long? So, I have decided to start a blog train to get people thinking about why they didn't throw certain items away. It might help unlock the reasons why we throw some and why we keep some!

We Start on 1 Dec!

Our blog train starts on the 1 Dec, tours around Singapore before chugging off to different parts of the world!  If you would like to join us, please drop me an email and I will send you the rules! Once you join, don't forget to grab the badge!

<div class="green-issues-by-agy-button" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://greenissuessingapore.blogspot.com/2014/11/blog-train-coming-soon.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <img src="http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w391/greenissuessg/Badge_zps8376368c.jpg" alt="Green Issues by Agy" width="150" height="150" /> </a> </div>

All posts will be shared on my social media platforms!

Update: Here's a wrap up of the blog train.

1 Dec  Green Issues by Agy  
2 Dec  JoeyCraftWorkz 
3 Dec  Gingerbread Mum
4 Dec  Mum in the Making 
5 Dec  Dominique's Desk 
6 Dec  Prayerfull Mum 
7 Dec  My Lil Bookworm 
8 Dec  Simply Me 
9 Dec  Mum Craft 
10 Dec Mad Psych Mum 
11 Dec Growing with the Tans 
12 Dec Mums the Word 
13 Dec The Kam Family  
14 Dec PeiPei.HaoHao
15 Dec Xavvy-licious  
16 Dec Adopt an Ami 
17 Dec Angel Hearts Crafts 
18 Dec Lapis William  
19 Dec Rhinestic's Knick Knacks 
20 Dec Hello, Mrs Tan

Christmas Break!!

2 Jan  Rude Record 
3 Jan  Refab Diaries  
4 Jan  Creating My Way to Success 
5 Jan  Recycled Fashion  
6 Jan A Vintage Crafty Adventure   
7 Jan Cucicucicoo     
8 Jan Sum of Their Stories    
9 Jan Fafafoom     
10 Jan Vicky Myers Creations
11 Jan Little Did You Know 
12 Jan Mountainsno
13 Jan Penelope Cake Fashion
14 Jan The Little Treasures
15 Jan Swoodson Says

16 Jan Notes to Ginny

17 Jan Purfylle  and Feather's flights