Today, I gave away a second phonograph player that I own.  I've owned two phonograph players for at least 15 years.  Neither of them are "DJ units", just standard home units manufactured in '87 and '91.  The one I gave away isn't as good as the other one, but I had bought it myself.  The better one, that I still use, was given to me.  But one day, maybe I would need the other unit.  Since it hasn't been used for 13 years, perhaps I was just taking up space with a maybe.  Or maybe I was just waiting until I found someone who would actually use it.  So, I do feel good about that part.

I have a few more things to get rid of.  I have a tendency of stacking old technology, even after it's useless.  Often, even if it's broken.  Just a few weeks ago, I sent a stack of ISA (computer expansion cards that have not been used since the mid 1990s) cards to recycle.  I have more stuff like this that I need to get rid of.  Also (strangely) I have two brand-new, never used speakers that I also want to get rid of.  It's hard to let stuff like this go.  I might need it someday.  Someday.

Of course, it's really the broken stuff that annoys me.  It's not hard to find a reputable recycling facility.  Why do I really keep this stuff around?

When I was young, and I had more time, I used to enjoy tinkering.  As a teenager, I had a soldering iron, and I would spend hours trying to hook things together to make them work.  I would put together electronic gadgets, and build switch boxes, or just something with blinking lights.  I always thought I'd eventually get good at doing this stuff, but I never really did.

The real culmination of this realization came a few years ago when someone asked for my help installing a mod chip into a game system.  I realized that I don't have the steadiness of hands that I used to.  Yes, these things are tiny, but, really, I used to do stuff like that all the time.  So, even the mediocre skills I had picked up as a teenager are long gone.

Now, after not having done more than 2 projects in the last 15 years, I really have to admit that this is not something I do.  It's not a hobby, it's not a priority.  It's not something I will ever be good at.  I still like the idea of tinkering, and it's the potential in this broken stuff that I see, and want to keep it around.  However, even worse than the phonograph player, or the speakers, it's just broken stuff that will always be broken.

It's time to do something about it.  So, with the big change, I'm finally doing something about it.  I'm starting to give stuff away.  I'm staring to take stuff to recycle.