Two of a Kind, or not

I am a thrower. I like to throw things. I really like clean, organized spaces and I hold to the school of thought that, unless it has sentimental value, if you have not used it in a year that you should either throw it, donate it, give it away or sell it. I admit that perhaps I take it a little far. You wouldn't believe how many times I have thrown something just to need it a couple weeks later. But honestly, there is really too much STUFF in this world that is so unnecessary.

I married a man who is about the complete opposite of me. A product of his parents, who have an entire basement and a two stall garage and a corner of a shop filled various things. One half of that garage actually has my husbands Corvair in it, and I'm sure a good part of the things in their basement belongs to their children.
Nic keeps everything. Most of the things he keeps are useful or will be at some point and he has an uncanny ability to remember the smallest thing. I have found this out the hard way. You wouldn't believe how many times he will say "Rachel, have you seen (insert random small computer part here or a specific pair of socks or a tool of some sort)?". I respond by staring blankly into space until I remember that I threw that away, I then cringe and get a guilty look on my face and Nic KNOWS. He knows that whatever perfectly good (to him) thing he is looking for has met its demise in one of my throwing rages.

Obviously we could use a little balance. I could learn to be a little more discerning about what needs to be stored and Nic could learn to let go of something that, although it might have once been useful, no longer has a purpose.


In the process of cleaning out the basement to get ready for a garage sale, I am attempting to get rid of anything we have doubles of, like christmas tree stands. Well until Nic pointed out that one of those stands is actually his parents. I might still sell it though, I think they have 3 or 4. Anyways - we have two nice tripod stands that, since we have been married, we have never used. In my new-found spirit of not getting rid of things just to get rid of things, I told Nic that he could keep ONE of the stands.

Me: I am selling the tripods. (If I start out like this maybe he will feel better about keeping one. Sneaky, I know.)
Nic: No, those are nice tripods!
Me: Alright you can keep one.
Nic: No we need both of them.
Me: Why would we ever need two tripods?
Nic: What if we NEED two some day?

I laughed and hugged him. He knows we haven't used either of them in the last 2 1/2 years. He also knows that the likelyhood of us even using one is slim. It just seemed to capture the essence our difference's. Ah, marriage.