I wonder if anyone has any thoughts about memorabilia— stuff that you keep because it reminds you of other times. This is different from keeping things because they might be useful someday. I ask because I have a cubic yard or two of such stuff boxed up in the basement.

Just last night I came across an old copy of a student newspaper that is easily 13 years old. There was nothing really special about it (I had written a letter to the editor). But it was really engrossing to re-recognize all sorts of stuff that I haven’t thought about in 10 years. Names of restaurants, the comic strips, etc. I’m not saying a random newspaper is worth keeping, but it was certainly just as much fun to look at as most keepsake snapshots.

Here’s the issue: How does a person determine where the line is between worthy keepsake and waste of space?