Saturday, October 1, 2016

I Understand

I understand why more people don't do this.
Drop everything.
Move to a boat.
Sail Away.

It's hard.

Our society is geared toward getting more stuff.
All our lives we work to get more and bigger stuff. Household goods, toys, mementos, houses. We are judged by how much and what type of stuff we have. Then we need storage to hold all our acquisitions.Storage systems, a bigger house, a full garage. It all builds up.
Many people dream of letting it go, but it is not easy to do. Everything tugs at you, evoking memories and emotions, trying to hold you back, making it difficult to escape. There are so many stages of actually making it happen Each stage provides its own excitement and inertia and you move forward. You get the initial idea- wow-let's do this. Then the reality of actually doing it will pull you back. It's like a series of rubber bands, when one snaps you move forward suddenly, and then the tension on the next will pull you back.

Here is some of the dialog I have been having with myself:
It's stuff, it's just stuff.
I know, but it's my stuff.
Let it go.
But I have such fond memories.
The memories will still be there.
But it hurts to let it go.
It will be OK.
Will it?
It will.

 Letting go is freeing. Once it is gone I feel better, but the actual letting go can cause great anguish. It helps if there are people to pass the things on to that will care about them, that know the history of the things, but even that doesn't really matter. It helps in the release of the items if I believe that they are going to a good home, but ultimately, it doesn't matter. They are things. Once they are gone I move on.

It will be OK.
It will be better than OK.
We are going off on this great adventure.
We will be making new memories.
And attempting not to be getting too much new stuff.



We love to hear your comments.

Susi on board the houseboat said...

You are right...it is just stuff. Take pictures of things if that helps you to hold the memories-then let them go. It is very hard. But the even harder part is to not accumulate more! After getting rid of everything, I now find I have a boat full that I have to purge.....stuff still sticks somehow!

Sarah said...

We,as a society,are so conditioned to adding more stuff. It doesn't stop just because we are on a boat!

Barbara Osborn said...

Thank you for putting into words what I have been going through in order to live on S/V Willa (PDQ 36 catamaran). I cut and pasted the column to my FB page and gave you credit for the writing of it. Thanks for being so candid and spot on.- Barbara O. Sunset Bay Marina Stuart, FL

patz said...

Nicely said. I feel your pain. I am working on it but not there yet. It helps to know that others have done this and felt liberated.

Sarah said...

This has really struck a chord with many people. I am glad I have been able to help others, and the support I have received has been heart warming.

Sarah said...

Glad you enjoyed it. It was cathartic to write.