Dear Friend,
It’s fun writing when the title is ambiguous! “Saving” could mean something noble, like saving someone’s life. Or it could mean accumulating money to save for a goal, also somewhat noble. But it could also mean. . .saving things, mementos of items from the past that have sentimental, emotional, or inherited value.
Taken to the extreme, savings could turn to hoarding, where the “things” take over your life, crowding the rooms, your mind, and the life you’re living. I knew someone who led such an existence. He lived a very cautious life. Although we’d been dating for several months, he never wanted me to come to his place. I was concerned, but he was neat, considerate, and had a great sense of humor.
And finally, I saw his place. It was the stuff of nightmares, with barely enough room to move around in his four-room apartment. He saved every newspaper (back when no one was getting news online), magazine, record, bill, note, and anything else that had come across his threshold for many years. Papers, stacked neatly in chest-high piles, were everywhere. The stacks separated in small paths just wide enough to allow him to enter his kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and office. The ones in his bedroom appeared to be surrounding his bed so that soon, he’d have them on the bed, too.
Sad soul! I surmised he was a PTSD victim who’d reacted to a frightening incident by building protection into his environment. He also strongly exhibited OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. For instance, he opened a door, but closed it, then reopened it, repeatedly. He had everything precisely in place if he set the table, not a millimeter off!
Not having the strength or the training to save him from himself, I parted ways with him. Nice guy, but too much work!
Now, contrast that with Louisa, in my Louisa’s Vineyard series, who moved her possessions to Will’s apartment when they became engaged. Will suggested she leave a few sentimental items of hers behind so it didn’t seem that she was severing her connections to her father and brother. Her room had old clothes, awards, trophies, knick-knacks and souvenirs from places they’d visited, toys, games, stuffed animals, and letters. It was relatively easy for her to separate the items she kept. She wanted stuffed animals, books, and games that might be fun for future children or visitors. Donating the clothing she knew she wouldn’t wear was a simple decision.
I wish I could find the courage to separate from items I’ve kept for sentimental reasons! Although I’m not a hoarder, I have some stories I wrote for newspapers for which I won awards, letters from old friends, and many, many books. After all, I am an author, and books are my library. I also like kitchen gadgets and use all of them, but some less often than others.
What I’m getting at is the need to make decisions. When I moved once years ago, I gave my ten-year-old son the choice of what to pack for the move. Would he keep it for future use, donate it to a charity so that someone else could enjoy it, or was it in terrible shape and needed to be tossed in the refuse pile? I gave him ten seconds to decide as I held up each item. He seemed decisive until I discovered later that some items had migrated back to the “keep” pile. I gave him those, because his life had included loss, and I didn’t want to be a mean mom and traumatize him.
To ask you to purchase one or all of my books becomes a decision. Buy it as an e-book so it doesn’t take up room except as a tiny part of your computer’s memory? Or, buy the paperbacks so they’re something you can enjoy, turn the pages repeatedly, and reference sections you particularly want to savor? I know what I like, and my several full bookcases attest to my need to hold a book in my hand and settle in to read it in a comfy chair.
Let me know what you decide, because I’ve written almost half of my next book, Randy’s Dilemma. Your dilemma is whether you want to reread some extremely spicy scenes or file it away in your computer.
My recommendation: Start with Louisa’s Passion, Book 1, to understand the characters, their nuisances, and their history, then move on to Will’s Secret, A Vision of Home, Love at First Sight, The Greatest Thing, and when it’s ready, Randy’s Dilemma.
Have a wonderful week, full of great and happy decisions!
Hugs,
Shelley
