wombat put up a post about cleaning and the things one finds as a result. that in turn got me thinking about something that happened 2 weeks ago about which i meant to blog but haven't had time to write yet.
so the mrs and i were cleaning our front closet for some reason (that eludes me just now, but is ultimately completely insignificant) when i spied the collection of cassette tapes. there were a bunch of 'em, most in those big boxes the size of a small toaster oven but half the height, or in those plastic holders. and we finally decided that it's the 21st century, we can probably ditch those things by now.
right?
well, we pulled 'em all out, pulled out a big garbage bag and started ditching stuff for a while...then we found the mix tapes we made for each other, my wife had a tape of her radio show that she was doing the semester after i left, all of these things about the early days of our relationship, reminders of a more innocent time.
and as we looked at the tapes, i realized that i couldn't get rid of the tapes. not all of them at least. not yet.
there were things we always intended to share (her radio show) but we'd simply forgotten about; things that we'd cherished together and had fallen by the wayside...
aside: you know, when i sat down to write this i didn't think it would turn out quite so...autumnal.
...but anyway, the point is that here were strewn memories of our life together, as if we were sitting in a flower-filled garden of happy recollections.
so what we had to do is pick a few of the flowers to take with us when we left the garden.
because for as beautiful as that garden is, i'm more interested in creating a new garden today.
ed
silverwhisper posted on May 07, 2008
| views: 141
Comments
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diabolicdame said on May 07, 2008....
Nice post Ed.. I love the analogy with a garden.. very apt. I remember those cassettes.. there used to be a lot of those lying around when I was a kid.. my dad had a huge collection and then I had made them buy all my favorite ones too. I just realized that we have never bothered to throw them out either. Strange. I haven't even seen them in a long time but I know where they are.. in those boxes and cases. I'm not surprised we still have them though.. I come from a long lineage of hoarders!
I hope your new garden turns out great. :-)
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uniquely-ironic said on May 07, 2008....
I was just happy to hear there were no 8 track tapes *sticks tongue out at you*Seriously, I think it's sweet that you saved the ones that had special meaning. You should consider transferring them to CD. You know me, I'm a sentimental fool. I have mementos of special events that I desperately need to find a way to put into accessable storage.I'm equally happy that you are one wise otter and know that building memory gardens in the present is important. ;) -
the_infernal_optimist said on May 07, 2008....
That is sweet, though I agree about the present vs. past gardens.
One of the first cards I gave now-DH when we were first acknowledging that we were a couple, and not "just" friends, was filled with confetti in the shape of these little iridescent hearts. He wasn't expecting that, and they spilled all over the floor. We still find them here and there, even though we've moved since then! :-D And there are dozens of specially-folded notes (you know, the kind that has the little triangular tab you pull to open the note) I wrote him throughout college hiding among old books and in closet corners. Sometimes we throw them out when we find them; a few we've kept. So I get that tape thing. ;-)
~Infernal
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quietone said on May 07, 2008....
ah, treasures. what a nice post ed. :) yes, I think it is great to always be planting new flowers along the way. -
Expendable said on May 07, 2008....
You have good memories ^_^-ex -
silverwhisper said on May 07, 2008....
diabolic: i'm surprised that you remember those too--but somehow i'm not surprised they're still kicking around! and thank you. :>
u-i: i didn't start to get into music until after 8 tracks, actually, cuz otherwise i might very well! :D i'm a bit of a sentimentalist myself and i really want to transfer my wedding video to a DVD someday, too--before that becomes impossible! and thank you--i didn't used to be good about staying in the moment, it took me a while to get accustomed to the idea. :>
infernal: i think the first card the mrs gave me for the first anniversary of our dating had that same confetti in it too, and sometimes, i find stray bits too and we too have moved--twice! :D and me, i keep every card or letter she ever wrote me and i think she did the same, actually. :> when we got married, her wedding present to me was a scrapbook of our dating life together, including a few of the letters i wrote her. :>
quietone: thank you! and yeah, i do try to live in the moment more than i once did, as i mentioned earlier. :>
ex: i've been fortunate in that regard. :>
ed -
the_infernal_optimist said on May 07, 2008....
Aww, what a great wedding present, ed (though yours to her was quite awesome too, I must say :-D)! :) And how cool that our lives crossed paths with the confetti thing that way. Your wife has good taste. ;-) Those little hearts are stubborn!
Thank you for letting us stroll past your garden today. :)
~Infernal
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silverwhisper said on May 07, 2008....
my pleasure, infernal--and i'm mildly surprised you remembered my present to her. :>
ed -
sweet_cookie01 said on May 08, 2008....
those are stuffs that you cannot in anyway throw... i remember the compilations of homemade videos, we copied them to cd to keep the memories alive. -
silverwhisper said on May 08, 2008....
ah, i have no homemade movies but if i did, i'd be doing the same--exactly, you want to keep those memories alive, and keep them accessible!
ed
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