Throwing Out The Past

I really hate to throw things away. I like to keep things. I hate to throw anything out... but throwing was what I had been doing for the past couple of weeks. Much as I treasured the things that I threw out, there just isn't space for them anymore (as in, physically no space!). Some of the things I had to get rid of (the ones I was most reluctant to part with):

1. A chair and a table made of wooden clothes pegs (been kept 16 yrs), given to me by my closest friend in primary school (I was 'kura-kura' and she was 'siput babi'). We learned to make them in art class. I remember we also made a chicken using clay and real feathers from a feather duster, but I simply cannot remember what happened to that. I really didn't want to throw the wooden-clothes-pegs-chair-and-table out, but they were already falling apart...

2. My St Johns file (been kept 12 yrs) containing records of medicine purchases, public duty assignments (for when I was the Medical Storekeeper), and budget plannings for various activities, club fund accounts (for then I was the Treasurer), and photocopied notes on first aid, nursing and bandaging. There was even a map of our town, marked for Hari Bendera collections plan, and a long list of the names, IC numbers, addresses and phone numbers of ALL our members, in my friend's (the Secretary's) own hand. Gosh. What the hell I was thinking when I kept all that... but it was a really great rediscovery, right before they became thrash.

3. The remains of a bouquet of Ferrero Rocher (after the chocolates were consumed) (been kept 8 yrs) that my precious room mate, CS, had delivered to me - during Thermodynamics class, on Valentine's Day! It was one of my happiest moments during that time of mourning (ngam-ngam kena dump by first boyfriend). Our lecturer (Ms Susan!) was talking when someone knocked on the door, and then came in to class with that BEAUTIFUL bouquet in her hand. And then, she called my name, and gave it to me, and the whole class went "Oooooh!". I was a tiny bit disappointed to find out it wasn't from a cute guy... and then I found out CS's club was the one selling them... but hey - of all people she sent it to me! I must be kinda special to her...? (neil, give yourself a slap. *piak*)

4. The whole stack on course notes from my college days (been kept 8-9 yrs). Well, yeah - contrary to most people, who'd immediately incinerate their books and notes upon completing the final exams of a course, I kept everything carefully... in case I need to refer to them again in the future (ever heard of 'pre-requisites'?). Obviously, that never happened, and they were never looked at ever since they were packed away and kept in a box. Quite an apparent reason for them being gotten rid of now, I think.

5. The GIGANTIC stack of course notes from my 3 years in university (been kept 5-8 yrs). Being kept and now thrown away for the same reasons as the above...

6. The little card that came with a single stalk of rose (been kept 6 yrs) that a guy sent to me on Valentine's day. It's nothing really - just "To neil. Happy Valentine's Day. From (if you really expected to read a name here... please lar!)" I don't really know why I kept it (ok, I couldn't keep the rose forever, so I kept the card instead, but that's not what I meant when I wrote I don't know why I kept it). It's a plain, 2"-by-1" piece, and the message was not even in his handwriting! I guess I really appreciated him, but... (next item please!)

Well, the next items must be in another post because I have another drawer stuffed full of things to clear out. One of the things there - a handwritten apology note by the chairperson of St John, on a piece of art paper, with a cartoon she drew of herself kneeling on durians and holding a pineapple on her head, given to us during one of our competitions, because she was unable to be there with us. It is 11 yrs old, and I am still thinking if I should keep it, or throw it...