I save everything, at least for a little while. Even receipts from a fast-food lunch (too many of those, unfortunately) stick in my pocket and then on my counter at home. They'll float around for awhile, serving enough time to either make it into my "files," or be tossed to the trash.

It can be an annoying habit, but there's also an upside. I have, in a drawer or shoebox here and there, most every ticket stub from every movie I've seen in the past five-plus years. My guess is that I can find a stub that dates back even longer.

This also includes ticket stubs for football games, baseball games, concerts, etc. Going through these makes for a fun trip down memory lane.

I also save most every card and letter I get. About five years ago I actually organized all the cards and letters with a filing system based on who sent them. I was able to look through all the letters from my high school sweetheart (wow, there were a lot more than I remember), for example, and see just how much she and I changed in those few years.

It also made me realize how completely insensitive and oblivious a teenage boy can be.

Maybe these letters and cards will prove a tangible commodity at some point, if I ever write that great American novel or my memoirs (though I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to read them, let alone me write them). I'll be able to comb through them and find some nuggets of wisdom, some interesting take on life that lends itself to a larger story. Maybe.

Or, maybe the boxes of stuff are just a testament to my inability to let go of the past and that I don't mind living with junk piled in the corner because I'm too lazy to throw it away.

Yeah, that seems more likely.

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