Declutter.

Visited Chris, Yunni and of course John at their new place today. Their home was neat and adequate in every way possible. We spent quite some time discussing how people's homes these days are neater than those of the past because we know what to keep and what not to.

I came back and did another round of decluttering. The last I did was probably the week before I changed to a new job (some time in Oct 2017). I discarded many items then, but still kept many. One thing that never changed, was that I always kept all the letters, cards and notes that people wrote to me. There were also some ticket stubs from movies or concerts. People who really knew me would know I have been the most sentimental. Not only do I always write people cards and letters during festivals or simply on random notes, I also keep them for the longest. I am pretty sure I kept at least 200 letters, in many boxes and all around in the house. I always felt I should keep them so that I could open them up and read, reminisce and indulge in some past memories every once in a while when I felt like it. The fact is, I really did that. I think this is precisely why I have such good memory of the past - I rehearse them too many times in my head with the aid of these letters and cards. For sure, they have so much sentimental value and every piece of paper has been so precious to me. But now, I also like to think that some things should be kept in the heart even if the physical form of evidence is gone. In a way, I guess, I have been so reliant on these little things to feel secure about my relationships with people. As a matter of fact, the writers of some cards and notes are longer in my circle of friends and I believe they probably will not be anymore. Of course, who knows?

I am actually quite hooked to clearing out things these days and there is so much more to go. I guess I will be looking forward to the weekend this week to continue with what is still left behind...