Neither a borrower nor a lender be...

Our neighborhood is having garage sales this weekend, so I'm sifting through all my treasures to see what I can part with to put out for sale. You know what I've learned?  I'm a sentimental fool. OK, I've kind of known that all along, but this just drives it home.

I remember the history of most of my "things" and oftentimes, the history makes me not want to part with an item. For instance, I have some very ugly jewelry that belonged to a favorite aunt; that aunt has since passed away, so how could I get rid of the jewelry, even though it's ugly? It's a small remembrance of my aunt, and it doesn't take up much space to keep it.

As I go through my stuff, I'm even noticing what's missing from my collections -  videos I've loaned out (for one - Shadowlands, with Sir Anthony Hopkins - a favorite of mine), baby items I've let friends use for a bit.

And you know what? Even though I'm focusing on getting rid of stuff, I'm realizing there's stuff I want back!  Not because I need it right now, but because of its sentimental value.

Do you loan stuff out and then not get it back? I have absolutely no problem letting people borrow things; I always believe that I'll get the items back in a reasonable amount of time.  I guess that's reasonable by my standards. As in, when you're done with it, you'll give it back.

I think that I'd rather own than borrow. A neighbor loaned us the little red car that her granddaughter used to ride around in. One of those Fred-Flintstone-mobiles.  I loved it & had been looking for one to buy for my son at garage sales. When she said we could borrow it, I instantly wanted to return it. What if something happened to it while we were borrowing it? And it was something that we'd probably use for a couple of years, and by my standards that's not a reasonable amount of time to borrow something.  Two days later, we found one of our own at a garage sale and bought it. We returned the borrowed car, and now I don't have to worry about damaging someone else's property.

Do you ever loan things out and then not get them back? What approach do you take with the borrower? Do you just let it go? I think I'll sound like a nut-case if I say "remember that video I loaned you 2 years ago...?" 

Or, about the baby items: "So did you use that thing when your little girl was an infant?... she's gotten so big, I'm sure you're not using that thing anymore. And no, I don't need it either, but I want it back because it was just a loan and I'm a sentimental fool."

Back to sorting through my crap, .... er, I mean treasures. They must be treasures if I don't want to part with them, right?

Comments

[Shish]

This made me laugh, because I'm exactly like you. I hate to part with things that have a history. I still have my metal lunch box from first grade-Holly Hobby! I lend things out all the time, but the one thing I get really antsy about is lending out books. I love my books. I REALLY love my books, and if they're not returned in a reasonable amount of time, I start to get nervous. I eventually ask for them back. Does that make me a weirdo? Probably. :)

[E]

I hate getting ready for yard sales because I spend WAAAYYYY too much time reminiscing over the stuff that I find! And, yes...I always start thinking about loaned items that never returned!

Here from Michele's!

[Katie]

I'm to the point that I only lend stuff out if I don't mind never seeing it again. Because no one ever seems to return anything. I lent out some of the twin's old clothes that I'd really like to have back for Kelly but I've moved and I don't know how exactly to say, "hey ship 10lbs of clothes to me!" I also can't stand to borrow stuff, I'll just buy my own.

[Marie]

I know what you mean, Shish. It's an emotional thing I guess. The rational part of me can say 'why not have those things collect dust on someone else's shelves instead of mine.'

E,
Glad it's just not me.

Katie,
Oh yeah. That stinks... I'm finding myself to be exceptionally sentimental about the baby clothes!

[Dave Diamond]

I know what you mean about borrowing stuff. And it's worse when you forget where it came from! Better just to pick one up on eBay or somewhere, I think.

Thanks for the visit today! Er, um... polar bear? :)

[Melody]

I used to hoard a lot but because over the years I have moved so much I tend to now let things go. Afterall they are only material items. Upon saying that though I am getting a little sentimental for some of Monet's stuff! And I am with Dave Diamond in saying that "Better pick one up on eBay or somewhere"...

[Bluegrass Mama]

I used to save more things for sentimental reasons, but lately I've been in clean-out mode. So I don't lend many things--I'd rather give them away. I do sorely miss a few books that I lent to people and never saw again. If I could only remember who has them, I would ask for them back, but sadly, I think I gave away my memory, too.

[Marie]

Melody,
Yes, a few moves might cure me. The baby stuff isn't going anywhere yet, but when it does I imagine there will be some tugging going on in my heart!

BGM,
There are some things I'm ruthless about getting rid of - like papers. I don't like paper clutter. Unless it's greeting card paper, then I must hold it, look at the handwritten messages, and put it back in my pile...

[Jody Halsted]

I broke with all my stuff when I moved to Iowa. Now I am slowly breaking Doug. Which means that I am slowly confiscating stuff that he won't miss & selling it on eBay.

On lending: I hate lending my books. I am anal about books. I love them and when they get borrowed they get taken in to bathtubs and pages get bent down. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! Respect the pages! Yep, I'm anal.