365 Things and A CD Collection of One

Originally posted on my blog www.KirstenWreggitt.com/blog on February 22, 2017

At the beginning of 2017 my family took up the challenge of letting go of one thing every day for the entire year. Tangible things — books, gadgets, dust covered storage items, etc. It has been really interesting so far and we aren’t quite 2 months in.

This past weekend we took a look at a box of old CDs. We don’t own that many but we had about 50 to look through. It is hard to believe that at one time you used to have to buy an entire record, tape, or CD just to get the one song you loved. Digital music has certainly changed all that and has created storage space in people’s lives too. So there we were faced with this box of music from our teens and twenties and a chilly Sunday afternoon to take a listen.

Music has emotional connection for most people. It can transport you back in time with vivid clarity. As we listened I could see our first University apartment, remember high school dances, and take a ride again on a past road trip with the CD on continuous play. We laughed not only at the memories that we recounted but also at the eclectic collection we had. There was a little country, fiddle music from the East Coast of Canada, rock, alternative, jazz, and even some of The Muppets. Each CD (for the most part) held some specific memories for us.

We uploaded a few songs or sometimes the whole CD to our iTunes account and then let all those CDs go. Even though we had enjoyed the music and memories it was pretty easy to part with it. None of the CDs were rare or too emotionally charged. Except one.

At the bottom of our listening pile there was a CD I had bought at a theatre production my husband took me to. That night was a very special night. My husband had bought the tickets for me as a gift. We went with friends. The production was an emotional one-woman show on a topic close to my heart. And, the show sparked a renewed love for riding my bicycle which led to the purchase of my favorite bike.

I couldn’t part with it. I held onto it like I have seen so many of my past organizing clients hang onto something that truly means something to them. I know that stance well. The item represents something so powerful that it is not a battle worth fighting over. Asking them to let it go isn’t worth it. There are just some things that mean too much. So as I had counselled my clients “you can save that,” we moved on to other piles of clutter with easier battles.

Our Sunday of music resulted in a ride down memory lane and a new CD collection of one. It is a cardboard jacketed CD called “Spin” by Evalyn Parry. Not very ordinary, not very extraordinary, but fitting. A single CD with meaning.

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For more on our journey to fewer things check out 365 Things and Abundance.