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A few years ago, I moved to a different state with my boyfriend at the time until we broke up and I moved back home. Before I moved back home I didn’t have time to make arrangements to bring all of my things, so I only took a few clothes, shoes, and various important items. I left most of my things with him because he repeatedly told me he’d send them to me after I got settled in, but it’s been 4 years and I haven’t received anything. During these 4 years he’s repeatedly mentioned that he was going to send them, until one day he told me he hasn’t yet due to shipping costs being too expensive.* After getting in touch with him last week, I’ve decided the only way I’ll properly get my things is if I drove down and got them myself, which I’ll probably try planning a trip for next year or something. Of the items left behind I really only care about my old sketchbooks, art books, knick-knacks, and art supplies. To me, my sketchbooks hold more value than anything else I own and I miss and think about them almost every day. (When I left, I only took the current sketchbooks I had been using at the time and not my old ones). Earlier today I mentioned to my current boyfriend that I wanted to go back and get them and he said “Really? You’d take a trip to get some sketchbooks? Sketchbooks?” And not to be too sensitive, but I couldn’t help but feel offended by his tone and his questioning. Those sketchbooks were from high school and art college. I’d love to refer back to them to see how far I’ve progressed in my work and to reminisce on my old drawings, as well as just have them safely back in my possession. If waiting on someone to send them back to me has resulted in me being without them for this long, then I may as well get them myself because that’s how much they mean to me.
So, all of this said, what is valuable to you?
A few years ago, I moved to a different state with my boyfriend at the time until we broke up and I moved back home. Before I moved back home I didn’t have time to make arrangements to bring all of my things, so I only took a few clothes, shoes, and various important items. I left most of my things with him because he repeatedly told me he’d send them to me after I got settled in, but it’s been 4 years and I haven’t received anything. During these 4 years he’s repeatedly mentioned that he was going to send them, until one day he told me he hasn’t yet due to shipping costs being too expensive.* After getting in touch with him last week, I’ve decided the only way I’ll properly get my things is if I drove down and got them myself, which I’ll probably try planning a trip for next year or something. Of the items left behind I really only care about my old sketchbooks, art books, knick-knacks, and art supplies. To me, my sketchbooks hold more value than anything else I own and I miss and think about them almost every day. (When I left, I only took the current sketchbooks I had been using at the time and not my old ones). Earlier today I mentioned to my current boyfriend that I wanted to go back and get them and he said “Really? You’d take a trip to get some sketchbooks? Sketchbooks?” And not to be too sensitive, but I couldn’t help but feel offended by his tone and his questioning. Those sketchbooks were from high school and art college. I’d love to refer back to them to see how far I’ve progressed in my work and to reminisce on my old drawings, as well as just have them safely back in my possession. If waiting on someone to send them back to me has resulted in me being without them for this long, then I may as well get them myself because that’s how much they mean to me.
So, all of this said, what is valuable to you?
* As much as I wanted to pitch in on shipping, eventually I moved out and worked at jobs that didn’t pay well. Living paycheck to paycheck, I wasn’t able to help afford anything, and at the time he had a better paying job.
