The View from a Drawbridge

Tag: tchotchke

  • Just Because It’s Yours Doesn’t Mean You Have to Keep It

    I used to know a guy who had a photo of a cat. “Cute cat,” I said, “What’s his name?” “I dunno. A pen pal sent that picture to me 30 years ago.” “Are you still friends?” “No.” “Then why are you keeping the photo of a long-dead cat that belonged to someone you no…

  • The Futility of Accumulation

    I long to have one of those minimalist homes with wide expanses of floor space and no tchotchkes to dust or arrange. No clutter. No collections. I want to be able to move all my stuff from one house to the next in just one or two carloads. I often look around at the mess…