By JULIA LAKEY
For The Beachcomber
It’s January, and thankfully our pace can slow down a bit. The holiday hubbub is over, and the decorations are packed away. We can savor winter stillness while early spring bulbs begin stirring in the ground. While we’re squirreled away in our homes, this is a perfect opportunity to lighten up on our possessions.
Redefining our relationship with our stuff is a profound journey. While our stuff can weigh us down, it does not define us. We are not our car or our techie gadget or even our cell phone ringtones. Stepping off the “gotta have” treadmill frees us. Every possession is actually on loan for us to steward during our lifetime; even our bodies are on loan.
So here’s the creative part — deciding where unused items can do the most good. Think about your interests and inspirations and decide how to turn stuff into a new incarnation. A favorite charity could benefit or even a new one that you haven’t gifted yet.
What about a groaning bookcase? Favorites you really don’t plan to read again could be donated to a school where students can discover some of your favorite authors and subjects. When I donated my art books, the school librarian was thrilled to receive these pricey items. Now I know art students and others can peruse the pages. I really learned the benefits of pruning when I moved my favorite college books in my VW bus. The bus grunted through the Rockies on the way to the Midwest but then the engine gave out! I had to finance a new engine while my trophy bookcase just got dusty.
We also have opportunities with artwork, musical instruments and bigger items. Artwork that once was thrilling perhaps is now just a blob on a certain wall. A once tantalizing musical instrument hasn’t been out of the case for years. Could you donate that instrument for use by a student whose family couldn’t afford it? You may also realize that you can get a bigger return by selling the item to a dealer and then using the cash for a donation. You could fund a Partners in Education grant to school programs or help Vashon Island Pet Protectors with the needs of abandoned animals with the proceeds. If you decide to donate the item for an auction, consider, for starters, the Vashon PTSA auction, which is May 3 this year, or the VIPP auction planned for Aug. 2.
What about a boat or RV that’s growing moss? Imagine that turned into cash. You could set up a scholarship in memory of a friend or relative or help the poorest families on the planet have medicine to save lives. Using the proceeds in a way that fits your interests is the creative part.
Nudging items back into circulation where they can be used transforms us. We think about what’s really important to us, rather than just accumulating stacks of stuff. Then the remaining treasures are just that — treasures we appreciate and use. Every item represents raw resources, manufacturing, storage and transportation to our door. Releasing unneeded items helps us to consider what we really can benefit from. It’s an on-going process: We continue to prune away unnecessary items, and we ponder new acquisitions in a different light. Every decision to simplify helps us as stewards of precious resources. The process creates hope and plants seeds in the lives of others.
— Julia Lakey lives on Vashon and works to heal the planet.
Care for Creation
Julia Lakey facilitates a monthly “Care for Creation” group, an interfaith gathering open to all Islanders. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in Bennett Hall (downstairs) at the Church of the Holy Spirit across from Vashon Community Care Center.
The next meeting is on Jan. 17.
