other people's books

[fred_mouse]

Yesterday, I looked at the pile of books that has been sitting on the 'to be returned' shelf for many years, and declared that people I haven't seen in over a decade probably don't care about whether I keep their books or not, and if they *really* care and want them back, I'll just buy them a new copy. Or a new book that they want to read. 

Today, I took them, and put all but one on the 'free books' shelf at the second hand bookshop at work. They belonged to N (Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body, borrowed in 1993, several attempts to return), J (something by Edwin Shrödinger, borrowed in about 1998), and P (four assorted fantasy/sf - David Eddings, Tamuli; something co-written by Gregory Benford and ?; no idea what the other two were, borrowed in the late 90s).

I also dropped off five dead batteries at the recycling point in my work building, but that wasn't nearly as monumental. 

Comments

[tanaqui]

Go you! It sounds like you managed to get rid of some mental as well as physical clutter. :-)

I took three items to the charity shop today when I went on a quick grocery run, one of which had been sitting around for a few months because it was large and awkward to carry, so that's definitely a piece of mental as well as physical clutter gone for me.

[peaceful_sands]

Well done!

[fred_mouse]

thank you. It took a lot - some weeks of agonising about what do I do, how do I make the effort (returning one set was going to require going to the electoral office and hoping the person still had the same name, and still lived in the same state - this was doing my head in!).

yay for getting rid of things, especially the large difficult one.

[peaceful_sands]

You're doing well, it's important to get to the point where things are ready to go however they depart. :D

[fred_mouse]

I think this was the hardest one so far. The clutter that just *sits* and there isn't "anything" that can be done, and is depressing every time you walk past.

[beachlass]

I found dealing with Other People's Stuff one of the hardest hurdles when I started trying to reduce the overwhelming amount of stuff in my life.

Well done!

[fred_mouse]

*grin* When I'm really grumpy about all the stuff, I say things like "but if I declutter the cat, I can get rid of all the Cat Stuff". Or "If I declutter partner and kids, it will be so much easier to get rid of all the extra stuff, because no-one will disagree with it going".

And thanks!