The post was for my TI-83 graphing calculator, an object I've for some reason held on to for the last 7 years - throughout high school, college, through my move from Korea to New Hampshire to California. As a history and art major, I had absolutely no need for it in college, but it's always been there, in the heaps of sentimental "oh-it'll-be-useful-someday" stuff I seem to drag along with me wherever I plant myself.
Within 30 minutes of posting, I received a response from a man named Tom.
His yahoo email address sketched me out initially and I will admit that I ran through a number of kidnapping scenarios in my head (obviously too much Criminal Minds), but here was a man who was willing to drive 30 minutes to pick up a graphing calculator for his high school son. So we arranged to meet at the train station near my home.
The handoff was quick and friendly. He shook my hand, thanked me for doing this, told me his son will get great use out of this calculator, got back in his car and drove off.
A non-eventful event really, but it made me feel great.
I've started to think more about what kind of life I want and I think it's starting to boil down to the realisation that I want a simpler life. This doesn't mean I want to live in shapeless linen shifts in the middle of nowhere (although that doesn't sound terrible really), I want to make an effort to pare my life down to meaningful essentials.
I want to get rid of those other TI-83s in my life and curate an intentional, simple collection of beautiful, quality essentials in terms of the things I have, the home I live in, the relationships I have, the lifestyle I live. (Yes, I write this as I await the delivery of a pair of hot-pink J. Crew corduroys, but I anticipate a learning curve.)
I'm realising that simplicity is something I've come to value increasingly in the last few years, and I want it to be something that permeates the life I live.
Here's to taking steps towards a greater, simpler life.
photo taken by josh
I love that you're trying to be rid of things that you don't need anymore. I'm really trying to adopt this thinking as well! (and need to - I'm sick of clutter). fascinating that someone actually met you to pick up your calculator!!
ReplyDeleteHey! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI actually offered to mail it to him so he didnt need to make the drive but he said he didn't want me to go out of my way. It was kind of nice though to put a face to a stranger. It made a small but significant difference...I think.