Let Go

To my son Tommy,

I don't think the rash of reality shows which focus on picking, or restoration, or pawn shop selling, or such have been a benefit to me.  I already have the tendency to hoard and I swear it might be genetic.  But these type of shows,like American Pickers or Pawn Stars to mention a few, make me fear giving up junk and someone else making millions on my things because I didn't realize the value.  It is a silly fear but it is a fear that starts at a real young age.

It first starts when you play with someone else.  You will be happy playing with a toy and your buddy picks up one that you passed over and begins having a great old time.  You had no idea that you could pretend that the plastic car was also a spaceship and you now feel slighted and look at the toy you were playing with in disgust.  This often brings out the worst in all of us as we go grab the toy from our friend and maybe even throw an elbow or fist or two in the process.  It really is a horrible way to be and to treat a friend or family member and it is something we all expect a child to grow out of.

Unfortunately, not many adults have grown out of this childish behavior.  Instead they just disguised it as adult and rationalize it with words like complicated.  It causes all type of complicated adult problems.  It can cause war and crime and some very serious problems.  It is the definition of corporate greed and inspires such sayings as "He who dies with the most toys, wins" which was meant to show the irony of the race yet somehow people missed the point and adopted this as their motto with pride.

For me, thankfully, it just makes it a challenge to get rid of things.  I even don't trust Goodwill and some other non-profits because I hear rumors that the CEO makes over seven hundred grand a year.  The stuff will just sit in my possession and be of no use to anyone but somewhere deep inside, a demented part of me thinks that is better than someone else making money off my junk.  I have books that I swear I will some day read again stacked in my basement going nowhere.  If I give those books away I will somehow miss a nugget of wisdom that I desperately need.  I have stuff that some day I will clean up and sell for some imaginary fortune.  This old typewriter will somehow send out a telepathic signal from my garage and magically attract a collector willing to pay me big bucks.  I have computers sitting around doing nothing that I will fix soon (can ya feel the sarcasm?).  I can do something with them, fix them up somehow, or perhaps they have that old picture on the hard drive that I need to grab.  I have boxes of stuff that I will someday go through and decide what to do with.  Perhaps that paystub from 2001 is vital even though it is covered in dust and dirt and is so brittle that it crumbles as I pick it up.  I am not to the extreme that I suggest but the threat of letting it get the better of me is always there.  I have to make a choice to rise above this fear.  Things are just things and I constantly wonder if it would be better to just let go of all these things.  I hope you don't get this trait from me but judging by the amount of toys we have (tons) and the amount we have given away (so little) I might have transfered my tendencies and focus away from my items and on to your toys.  I mean A&E reality show just found that same toy in a storage locker and said it was a "thirty dollar bill all day".  Let go of your stuff my son and you will be a better person for it.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo