How many of us resort to renting storage space to fill what doesn’t fit in a new space/home/apartment, or our current home has no more space. And so we rent space in one of those countless storage facilities we see in our cities and towns. When I moved last Summer I almost did just that: rent space in one of those very facilities.
This is much like the man in the parable in today’s gospel who decided to build larger barns to hold more of his harvest. This gave him a false sense of security that with all his acquired possessions, stored in a larger barn, he could relax and not worry about the future. He forgot about death, his death, at which moment all the stored possessions would be left to others or simply to rot.
Right after I finish this reflection (you are going to laugh) I’m going to the local correos, post office, and try to send my too large backpack to Santiago from Pamplona. And then, off to Decathlon, their version of REÍ, to find a much smaller pack that will hold only what I absolutely need.
I’m leaving behind the sleeping bag, extra clothes, toiletries I don’t need and that huge 50 L pack that weighs 6 pounds. If I can’t send the pack (too expensive) I am not sure what I will do since the day pack I’m currently using to hold the essentials is causing a huge strain on my neck. I’m sending my pack ahead for 7 or 8 euros through a transfer service but my essentials are too heavy; I need a small, sturdy pack WITH the waist belt so weight is on hips not neck. Also, ALL the transfer services end November 1st.
By the way, instead of renting space I gave away over half my books, decorations, kitchen stuff like pots, pans, gadgets, machines to froth the cream, half the dishes, glasses, and many clothes. I made many trips to the Goodwill and just gave the stuff away. Other people will hopefully enjoy some of these possessions.
And if I die TONIGHT, I will only leave behind a small backpack. Maybe someone could use this small pack.
I enjoyed this and can totally related! Vaya con Dios, my friend! Mary H
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Oh, Frank, you make me laugh. I’ m going to send your missive to my good friend Jan who has been talking for a year about clearing out her storage space ($300.00 per month) and hasn’t done it. Maybe your message will move her☺️. I’ve actually started clearing a few spaces in my house of “stuff” but I’m not close to being done! Enjoy your trip, be safe and comfortable with your essential backpack! Hugs Phyllis & George
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Dear Frank, I really enjoyed your post and before I read it this morning I woke up thinking “I’m committing to getting small”. By that I don’t mean Steve Martin’s “Let’s Get Small” album from 1977, although that is pretty funny (why my parents let me listen to that when I was 12 years old I’ll never know). What I do mean is cleaning out the closets and donating things I don’t use or don’t need. But more than that I also mean committing to a smaller footprint. And, yes, making myself smaller and healthier! I wish you well on your travels and please do not die! The world needs Frank! Thinking about you and looking forward to seeing you when you return.
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Father Frank, when Patty and I sold our house and moved into an apartment a month ago, I too got rid of more than half of my books–many of which I’d owned more than 50 years, since I was in college and even high school. At first I thought I was tearing parts of my body off and throwing them away, because in a very real way books have been my life. But then I started to think about how the contents of those books had shaped my soul, and how I could call on them mentally whenever I wanted to, and if I really needed to re-read any of them I could find copies readily in the library or used-book stores. That made getting rid of them less difficult.
But it still wasn’t easy!
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