It’s been a while since I did one of my “discarded posts”. Hi Andrea! There’s no particular reason, other than my neighbours haven’t been throwing much out lately. There was a paper shredder, mind you yesterday, which I picked up on the way home. It didn’t work, which is why they threw it out I guess. And besdies I can’t imagine why I’d need a paper shredder anyway.
Today was different. however. Just a few doors down from my place there was an older wardrobe, a couple of matresses, a bedside table and various other items probably from somene’s bedroom. As soon as I saw the furniture I knew exactly what it probably meant. It probably means one of the two old ladies from that house has passed away, which is very sad.
I could be wrong, but you just kinda know when someone has passed away. The beds, the matresses, the furniture no longer matters. And for a lot of people it’s important to discard these items as quickly as possible. I remember when my dad died, for example, and my mum burned some of dad’s things the following day. I didn’t really understand it then. I thought it was all too sudden. I turns out, though, it’s a fairly common cultural norm amongst many cultures all around the world.
One response to “Discarded Everything”
Hello James!
Yes, not all discarded objects come with that sense of having been set free. Though I suppose a lot of what ends up in op shops gets there after their owners have died too. It’s true about the burning, too. Some might say it has its roots in cleansing, to avoid possible spread of illness, and I can see that this would be logical, but I wonder if it’s also to do with emotional and/or mental cleansing after a traumatic event like death.