A few weeks ago, I went to the doctor – actually it was a virtual visit because I had COVID (and I continue to have the plugged nose and congested head to prove it). I was shocked when along with the usual questions such as, “What meds are you currently taking?”, she asked, “Have you fallen more than twice in the past year?” Well, of course not. No one has ever asked me that before, and I wondered, why are you asking now? Then it came to me, I am now of Medicare age. An age when health providers ask about falling.
This aging business must be the reason why my husband and I have been doing the gargantuan, overwhelming, exhausting job of downsizing.
My daughter put me on to Facebook Marketplace, which, honestly, is one of the most pleasurable ways to waste an hour. As John and I cleaned out cupboards and closets, I posted pictures of the things we needed to get rid of onto this site. It is fascinating to me to see the things that people will take off your hands. I was not surprised when many people responded to my offer of a free washer and dryer. Although the appliances were decades old, they still functioned perfectly, and, perhaps sadly, many people were eager to take them. But a dusty old bed frame? People were lined up for that. OK, how about a NordicTrack? Really? Oh yes, someone drove 20 miles to pick it up. He was thrilled to get it.
How about this? We had a 1965 set of Encyclopedia Britannica, a set that John inherited from his grandparents. Believe it or not, when John was a boy visiting his grandma and grandpa in Iowa, he actually spent many hours reading the encyclopedias for fun! No wonder he is such a smart guy. Anyway, I told John I was going to recycle the giant books. He said, “Oh no, list them on Facebook Marketplace.” I resisted for a week, but finally gave in and listed them for free. You guessed it, people were lined up (in a Facebook Messenger kind of way) to get them. As the lucky winner was stowing the books in the back seat of his car, I looked at his girlfriend so that I could offer her a “Sorry to be filling up your house with junk” kind of look, but she did not return the sentiment. She seemed OK with this. I asked the buyer, “Why do you want these?” Did he reply, “I am a collector of old and rare books”? No, he said, “Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted a set of encyclopedias.” OK…but does he know that the knowledge within these pages is somewhat, uh, dated?
On the other hand, I was thrilled to see someone take a toboggan off my hands. My children had spent many joy-filled hours flying downhill on that flat piece of pine, and I was happy to know others would do the same. Same with board games. A lava lamp! A cribbage board, a card table. An old VCR player! Such good memories all these treasures evoked. Treasures from the past, treasures no more.
Yes, Medicare tells me I am getting older. As I clean out the closets, I realize that all these possessions provided good times for us as a young couple and a young family. But they no longer hold promise for building memories in our future. I’m happy to know that others can enjoy these treasures for their own good times ahead.
Even if I am little baffled about the encyclopedias.