Back in ’98, I bought a used video game and have been holding on to it for the past twenty years.

The ridiculous part is I rarely play video games anymore and when I do, they’re digital downloads and not cartridges from a technology I don’t have anymore. I’m not a collector, either.

It seems ridiculous the only reason to hold on to this particular item isn’t for any nostalgic reasons, but to anticipate the day I finally sell it. As minuscule as it is, this is an attachment that wouldn’t let go of me.

Even when everything else in life seems even keel, this video game still pulled at my thoughts.

Finally, the decision came to get rid of it. Not even sell it. I’m going to destroy it as a vestige to the rampant materialism that allowed it to overtake me. The video will be going up shortly.

The advantage of living in a digital age is being able to let go of physical mediums that do nothing but clutter up space. Even then, there is a movement of digital minimalists who understand hoarding can also happen in a digital capacity, but that’s an entirely different movement.

As a voracious reader, I’ve let go of hundreds of books collected over the years. The few that remain are those that resonate with me personally and are kept solely for that reason.

Personal items have also been sent to greener pastures as their meaning has been lost over the years.

While the act of getting rid of such items should feel stressful, it’s liberating.

Once it’s gone, a small part of you is free again.

Do it enough and the sum of all those small parts adds up to a completely gratifying experience.