Letting Go

The garage is now three bikes lighter. Just this very afternoon I sold two bikes, including the 2007 Soma Double Cross that was my do-everything Swiss Army Bike until I replaced it about a month ago.

I’ll admit to hugging that Soma when it left the garage. It wasn’t an awesome bike but it was a steadfast companion on many adventures. But after its replacement arrived in the garage, I stripped it of all useful parts and it hung forelorn on the workstand. I imagine that useful objects feel sad when they aren’t in regular use. This Useful Object deserved better than to be harvested of its organs and left to rust.

My life goal, no fooling, is to rid myself of all useless possessions. I used to say “of all possessions,” but I have come to realize then I’d have no way to get to work, and I’d be very cold when I got there. But I form irrational attachments to My Things and feel sad when they leave me. When we bought our house I wrote, “Jenny likes to get rid of things, and I prefer not to buy them in the first place.” The thing where I hug bicycles, that’s why.

After we moved out of our old house, I hugged it, too.