I'm Sentimental
September 6, 2007














Those are my keys. I know, they're huge. My key ring is made up of thirteen keys, five key rings and eight rewards cards. I love every single item.

Jared wants me to scale back, but I'm completely unwilling. You see, I'm sentimental, I like to keep my keys, because every key is a memory.

For example, I have a copy of the key to my friend's XTerra. She traded it in several months ago. It was a nice car, and that's a memory that I'm not ready to part with.

One time, when I brought homemade soup to an elderly woman from church, I used her house key to let myself in. That was a really nice thing I did. So there ya have it, another memory that I'm not yet willing to part with.

Of course I have a copy of the key to my parent's back door in Connecticut and their beach house in Massachusetts. I'd hate to be left out in the cold if I ever pop in for an impromptu visit from Texas.

And the beer bottle opener? I can't for the life of me remember where that one's from, but I'm sure it was great, so I'm not ready to let it go.

Maybe my sentimentality seems strange to you, it certainly does to Jared--we're total and complete opposites on this matter. You should watch us clean out a closet together, it's awesome.

Jared's like, "Hey Amy...you don't want to keep your high school yearbook do you? Oh, c'mon, you don't need it...you never even talk to these people anymore!"

And I'm all, "Oh Jared, don't throw out my Precious Moments graduation figurine! That's very special to me. I know, I know, I hate Precious Moments figurines, but my old lady neighbor gave it to me, and that means everything."

Finally, after years of butting heads, we've come up with a system--we are each allowed to keep one Rubbermaid container filled with sentimental stuff, no questions asked, no eyes rolled.

Jared's container is almost completely empty. It contains his "Elder Lawson" tag from his mission, a Pedro Martinez baseball card, and one very redneckish crystal etching of our faces that he treated himself to on our honeymoon (?).

My container, on the other hand, is busting at the seems. The cover sits about twelve inches above the box since there are so many valuable treasures contained within. It's filled with everything from useless computer wires to ticket stubs, to James's unused newborn diapers. Big time stuff....big time stuff.

I do have one item, a collection of sorts, that Jared has yet to learn of. It's tucked away for safe keeping in my parent's attic, and it has been for years--it's my cup collection. No, they're not pewter cups, and they're not interesting mugs either. They're--get ready for this--Dixie Cups! The mini ones that go in bathrooms.

Isn't that awesome?!

As you might guess, I was sentimental as a child, too. I could never bear to part with my cup after a really good gargle, so instead of tossing it in the trash, I'd add it to the existing stack in my closet. As a result I have a seven-ish foot tall collection of Dixie Cups just waiting for their mama to come home.

Well, I'm coming little cuppies! I'm coming to getcha! And when I do, you can bet your cardboard keister than I'm gonna find a way to fit each and every one of you in my box. You're all that special!

22 comments:

jahowie said...

This is a great post!! I'm the same way. I have a box under my bed at my parents' house that has old drawings that I did, medals from track, yearbooks, etc...etc...You are not alone. My keyring has keys on it that I can't even remember what they go to!! How pathetic is that?!?! :-)

The Ramos Family said...

Seriously, this could be me writing this. I, of course, would have to substitute Jen for Amy, Joe for Jarod, and Manny for James, but otherwise, it would be completley the same story.

Amy said...

Do you guys have cup collections, too????

I'm SO glad to know that I'm not as freaky as I thought.

Mindy said...

Well...maybe you are freaky. ;) I'm on Jared's side. I throw away anything I can. In fact, if anything is missing in our house, that's the first thing my husband thinks of..."Did you throw it away?" Wait...maybe I'M freaky!!

The Ramos Family said...

Nope, I don't have a cup collection, but I have every note that was passed to me from 7th grade through high school. It is pretty hilarious to read the notes especially from 7th grade.

Anonymous said...

I am definitely more like Jared. I have the minimal amount of keys on my key ring and don't collect much of anything ... oh except clothes. I can never throw clothes away.

TheOneTrueSue said...

Hey, you have my keyring! I have keys from old jobs, too. If anyone wants to get into Susie's Frozen Yogurt in the middle of the night, we're all set.

Sarah said...

I thought I was bad!! I can't believe you collect DIXIE CUPS! Amy, you crack me up. And the key thing, nope, I don't get it but I understand the sentimentality that caused it so more power to you. I have 17 keys on my ring that I have to use (for apartment management stuff) and I wish I could slim it down. I love your writing and how prolific you are on this blog!

Ian said...

Used Dixie cups? I think I'm actually speechless.

Jess said...

My brother and I used horde Dixie cups because we saved them and built "cup castles" out of them. Yeah, we were cheap to entertain.

But otherwise, I am not a saver. I do have a Rubbermaid of my own with some sentimental HS and college crap, but I recently combed through it and pitched some stuff. Did I need the dried corsage from junior year's prom? I decided "no."

That probably breaks your heart, right?

But one thing that strikes me about your keys: it may say "sentimental" but it also says "stalker" b/c keeping an old lady's keys? That's, um, well, weird. I'm gonna keep an on eye on the news for you!

J~Mom said...

Add me to the "that is me list". I don't have Dixie cups though. I have other treasures like all the bridal magazines from the year I got married. Nothing in them pertains to anything today except that I fawned over them the year I got married.

Katy Shamitz said...

i had forgotten about the cup collection! if only mom and dad had given us each a reusable plastic cup... remember when i built a model statue of liberty out of my portion of the cup collection? i like to think it's the most artistic thing i've ever accomplished.

Lori said...

You would not believe how jealous I am of you. I begged daily for dixie cups, but my mom thought the tupperware cup in the bathroom did the job just fine :(

Patty said...

Sounds like Jared needs to rent you some space out of his container.

Although I am sooo not a packrat, I don't see any problem with one tupperware container of (ahem) collectibles - even if it is busting at the seams. However, I must admit, I damn near choked on my drink when I got to the part about the Dixie Cups. I have no words....

Grandma said...

those cups must be with your old recital costumes and your first skateboard ...among other items. Jared won't like what I still have for you up there!xo

Grandma said...

and yes Katy..your Statue of Liberty came right to mind... on display in the school showcase and we were all so proud.. I do remember all that silver spray paint we used.... sorry environment!

carrie said...

this is exactly how my husband is. he saves every piece of electronic goods he has ever procured. We have 10 old cell phones, 2 old TVs, 4 old stereo systems, 2 VCRs, 1 old DVD player, and a garbage bag dedicated exclusively to random wires.

I throw one thing away every day. He will never know. HA HA HA

Anonymous said...

i still have notes that me and best friend exchanged in class in the 6th grade thru high school...and I have never thrown away a letter or postcard or picture....i feel ya, girl :)

Michelle Glauser said...

For the last year, every time I thought about how ready I was to see the world, I'd go to my room and realize that it was going to be really hard to see the world with so much stuff, so I started throwing stuff away. I'm sure I filled up a D.I. or two on the way. A lot of stuff that I did find really sentimental I just took pictures of or scanned so I have digital memories. Yay!

jahowie said...

I have glass collections. My bro works for a place that prints glasses for bars, special events like the Super Bowl etc....and I have so many that I have boxes and boxes of them stored away that I don't even use!! I'm glad that we can make you feel better about yourself. ;-)

Anonymous said...

You must be related to my mother in some way. We are warned regularly that when she dies to make sure we look in everything because she says "The shoeboxes in the closets are not filled with shoes." I probably wouldn't blink an eye if one of them contained only used dixie cups.

Jessica Schessler said...

Hi! So, I know this is an old post... but, I'm new! I followed a link from Crabby's blog over at Cranky Fitness.

Anyway, I just had to say that I also have boxes of stuff I can't part with... and.... I LOOOOVE dixie cups!!!!