2

Comments

I love cruising webpage after webpage of Craigslist classified ads in categories that range from farm and garden, to arts and crafts. I love the unexpected treasures I have found there. The hutch made from reclaimed railway ties that holds my sewing and knitting supplies with such grace. The palki from india, once a bridal carriage, now a reading nook for me and the boys. The beautiful solid wood bunk beds that unexpectedly also included organic mattresses, all for only $100. And of course the housemates we found in the rental section who became dear friends.

The Stuff

I love getting rid of stuff just as much as I love finding fabulous new stuff. In preparation for a recent move we went through wave after wave of cleansing. Each time we walked through our home there were new things that we were now ready to let go of. In the process we discovered that things can mean something to us at one stage in our life, and then maybe are better off having the opportunity to be special for someone else. Craigslist was a constant companion in those months of cleansing, and I had to discipline myself not to cruise the “for sale” section.

The People

Most of all, I love the people. The two very stoned and very sweet twenty-something guys that showed up late one night to take away our ancient and quite warped ping pong table. The bride-to-be who came to buy our purple sofa which had come to us from a widow who lived in a tiny co-op apartment – walls covered with her paintings and, everything else covered with cat hair. She bought the sofa, but also fell in love with the palki, which we parted with as sadly as the woman who sold it to us-to help finance her trip around the world with her young family.

Buy Previously Cherished

In today’s changing economy the importance of community “exchange” forums such as Craigslist seem to not only be serving as a way to keep stuff out of landfills, but also as an important way to have glimpses into one another’s lives. Within the freecycle community I once received a backpack from a man who weaves his social fabric through the exchange of items. He obtains things being freecycled by others, and then re-freecycles them only days later in order to ensure a second round of human interaction. Strange, yes, but for him, a valuable source of connection.

Now it is your turn. What treasures have you found? What treasures have you passed on reluctantly or with great glee? Who have you discovered along the way?

Photo by chika.