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As you probably know in a few weeks time we’re moving house. At the moment we’re in full on packing mode: bubble wrap and cardboard boxes are my jam. By god we have so much stuff. Probably too much stuff and I can see some seriously rationalising that stuff as we move.

It’s got me thinking of the number of times that I’ve moved house before and the different houses / flats that I’ve lived in. Unlike my partner who was an army kid and moved house regularly as her father was posted to different places around the world, I think I’ve moved a total of five times and the house we’re living in currently is the longest I’ve lived in any one property.

As mentioned you tend to accumulate “stuff” over the years. Some of it has purpose, some not and some is sentimental stuff. If you said I had more sentimental stuff than most people you probably wouldn’t be wrong (I am writing this newsletter after all, where there is a heavy sentimental piece). But some of my sentimental stuff also has purpose. For example tools that I’ve kept that once belonged to a favourite relative.

As I’ve been packing boxes I’ve come across all manner of different things that I’ve kept for sentimental reasons. Some I’ve certainly had for a very long time, including what was the ceramic door sign above that was on my bedroom door throughout my childhood.

I also came across several old penknives.

Only three of these are mine. The top one belonged to my Grandfather and I was given it when my Grandmother passed away a few years ago. It had been stored in her desk (which I also have) and when I took it out I cut my finger on it. It probably hasn’t been used since the mid-1970’s but it is wickedly sharp. The next two are ones I had as a kid, the white sided one is my very first penknife (or rather my second as it is identical to my first which was lost at Girl Guide camp – which is a story for another time). The bronze sided one belonged to my Dad and was on his keyring for many years until the loop broke. The leatherman was on my belt nearly everyday at work through my twenties and into my thirties. I probably used it everyday. I no longer carry it on my belt but it still gets the occasional use.

I find it interesting that these things are all analogue things, there’s not a digital knick-knack amongst them. Even things like the cameras that I’ve kept, they’re all film cameras, the only digital ones are relatively modern, and ones that I’ve purchase myself. It might be a cliché to say it but it feels like the analogue stuff is timeless. How is it that a knife that hadn’t been used in nearly forty years can retain an edge like it has, I know that it’s because my Grandfather would have taken great care of it and kept it honed and it hasn’t seen use since the last time he put it away, but it feels like the years should have dulled it like the sides of the blade has lost its shine. The business end is still game.

These are all things that I am going to keep, they have a function, even though they probably won’t get much use and I fully accept that I am keeping them for sentimental reasons. The more disposable items are consumer driven trivialities that unless they serve a function will be going to a charity shop or recycling point.

We don’t intend to move again after this time, except perhaps to the crematorium in what I hope will be many more years. I suspect we’ll still have too much stuff.

Thanks for reading.