05.24.06

Random Gifting…

Posted in Personal News at 11:12 pm by divinity

I love Freecycle. It’s a great concept, and one that works well. for those not familiar: http://www.freecycle.org In short, you give away stuff that you don’t want/need anymore to people that have a use for it and you pickup the same from others.

So I’ve had a huge pile of stuff sitting around waiting to get posted to the freecycle mailing list so that I could get rid of it. I finally got around to starting the other day. One of the first posts I did was a stack of books that I enjoyed in middle school. You know, the kind of books you stay up late reading with a flashlight because you can’t go to sleep without knowing what’s next. I posted them, knowing I’d like to give them to someone who would put them in the hands of a kid who could experience the same thrills I did. What happened surprised me.

One of the first requests for them was from a woman who ships stuff overseas to people who need it. She does this all on her own dime and out of the goodness in her heart. I went ahead and told her that the books were hers to ship, and inquired if there were any other things that she would be interested in shipping over. She mentioned general things like clothes and whatnot, so I pulled out the big box of clothes that was next on the list. I was so glad because I was not looking forward to describing all the different articles. Then she went on to sy that on a personal note, she was getting married soon, and that they were going to be doing a retro-themed wedding, with atari’s and vinyl, and all sorts of old school stuff. She mentioned that she had gotten an original Nintendo from a friend, but no games.

Now I have had a ton of old Nintendo stuff sitting in boxes that has made all my moves since college. I hardly ever played them, but hung on for sentimental value. Before I knew it, I was promising this stranger (one with a good heart) my entire nintendo collection. Three full consoles, a box full of games, a powerpad, and various bits and pieces. The thought of the enjoyment that would be had by the friends and family at this wedding was enough motivation to part with these items. It felt good to completely do away with any selfishness that I had with the hoarding of these “priceless” childhood memories. I gave them to her with a smile, knowing that when they were done with them, they would be passed on, and serve the purpose of bring enjoyment, smiles, laughter, and fun to others.

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