So, I was with some young people this weekend who were graduating from college and moving out of their college apartment. Said apartment was partly furnished with things I used to own. I fobbed the things off on them (couch, dining table and chairs, dishes, appliances, etc) when I moved out of the Plummer single-wide. The couch I had bought (through the mail, cheap), the rest were gifts either new or pawned off on me when I set up housekeeping decades ago.
Let's trace the life of the table and chairs.
When I was 8, my family bought a house and contents from a distant relative who'd either died or gone to the home to wait to die.
Among the contents was a table with 4 chairs. It was covered in ugly paint but super sturdy. Eventually I moved out to go to college. At some point during my thorough college career, this table and chairs came to live with me, paint stripped off. I think it was when I was in grad school so about 1989. I've had it until then and used it a TON. Eventually put varnish on it (sorry Mom! I used it without varnish for a while). Moved it hither and yon, back and forth across the country multiple times. All the while acquiring more dining sets. Now that I'm smallify-ing my life, it was time for the table to find a new home. When a young friend was getting his apartment with a girlfriend I thought "BINGO!" and helped him move, bringing along the couch and table/chairs, various plates, dishes, appliances, and etc that I no longer needed. Don't worry...I still have several tables so if anyone else is starting up, I can donate more.
They've used it for a few years. It's showing its age. A leg is cracked, the chairs need to be reglued. BUT, still a good solid oak set. They could not move it or the couch with them. The couch was pretty well shot (cheap, mail-order, flat-pack so lasting 12 years was really good anyway). The couch cushions were all that was left. These went in the dumpster...next day they were no longer in the dumpster and we saw one a few blocks from the apartment. It had gone rogue. Perhaps trying to find the couch cushion mating area or the burial grounds. We don't know.
Anyway, on Sunday morning, it was the final push in the move so we set the table out by the dumpsters. Within an hour it and the chairs were gone. They'd found a new home and I'm sure whomever found them will enjoy them and pass on whatever portions are left when he/she is done with them or moves on.
This to me is one of the joys of a college town/neighborhood. Things don't often go to waste. They move on. As we were hauling the mattress out one of the young people suggested we put it near the median where they got it. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repeat.
They did move some of the art, the good blankets, and the favorite bugs bunny waffle iron. I was honored that some of my cast offs and gifts were among the things worthy of being kept and differently honored that some of the things were passed on.
