not really attached, anyways

The truth is that I've never been very attached to my "things". I do tend to be a pack rat - not because I am attached, though. Rather, I see the usefulness in certain objects and allow them to hang around if I think I can use them for something in the future. I am especially aware of the potential reuse of objects for tasks that they may not have originally been designed for. I'm also a sucker for a "deal". My wife and I have been known to pick up gifts on clearance from retail shops nine months before someone's birthday - because we know that it will *eventually* make a great gift.

At first I thought that my non-interest in material objects had to do with my lack of sentimental value in them. But that theory didn't fly when I realized that I never hung on to things like Birthday cards, awards, or certain photographs. In fact, I distinctly remember disassembling some of my childhood soccer trophies just so that I could reuse the marble block base.

Of course, my only real concern at this point is that many of the items that I would like to sell second-hand of are now worth next-to nothing. And although I can handle not having them anymore, I have a hard time giving them away for free (especially when I remember what I paid for them). I know that I should probably just rationalize it by remembering how much use I got out of them, but when I see something like a professional keyboard synthesizer that I paid $1600 for ten years ago sell for $150, it makes me a little ill. It also makes me feel like I should just go ahead and hang on to it, in case I ever feel the need to use it again.