Monday, April 1, 2024 Sorting and Winnowing

I had not realized that the older we got, the more attention we would have to give to sorting our stuff and winnowing the chaff from the grain. Add in the stuff from departed loved ones and there’s a serious sorting situation in the works. I’m determined to sift through and organize all the family genealogical documents and photos my Mom accumulated, as well.

Speaking of photos, I read a book many years ago called Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. I don’t remember much about it, except for the presence of a character who did not find any value in old photographs, or in any photographs at all. The character was completely untethered from those little pictorial fragments that mean so much to our lives, or at least to mine. It was a strange perspective, but one that seemed to free this person from much that would weigh him/her down. I can see that there is a point at which the accumulation of memorabilia can become a weight rather than treasure.

So yes, sorting and winnowing is the theme of this phase of my life. Do we want this thing? Do we need it? If we get rid of it, will we regret it? Could somebody else make better use of it? I’ve been setting aside some time each week to go through places that need the winnowing fan, but I can only do so much at a time – so many decisions are wearying.

I’ll separate the wheat from the chaff in this post in the morning.