Old Skins II

“Do you have space in your life for the new?”

When I received this question last week, I snapped alert. Ohhhh…. Oh.

I looked down at the bundle of old odds and ends I was clutching to my chest, and my grip loosened a little.

I was already working on releasing so much of it, but sentimental bonds do have a way of wrapping me up.

But I got my new driving licence in the post this week. I finally released my Queensland licence — after some 15 years of not living in qld! — and accepted that I am, now, a resident of New South Wales.

I will allow my PO Box in Queensland to lapse this month too, after 20 years. I kept it as my postal base while I moved frequently, and travelled far. (Once someone sent a box of flowers there, which sat a couple months until a friend cleared my mail )

My euro credit card has been closed. My Finnish bank account is next; with it I lose my codes for identifying myself digitally in Finland.

I closed my Finnish phone number. The sim had stopped working anyway…

And there’s more, little doors and windows and secret cupboards that I’ve been slowly closing. I drew comfort and strength before from having options, but now…. Now I need more space in my life for the new.

So I peel back another finger, nails once sunk into the things that “might be useful one day”, and let a few more things fall away.