Please Mr. Postman

Almost every time I've surrendered an email address, I've had to go through hundreds of old emails to make sure I'm not losing something I might like access to down the road. Some of my early email addresses were provided by companies no longer in existence. And some I booted because the company suddenly didn't want to provide free email addresses anymore.

One such company was my internet provider a good many years ago. Out of the blue, they began charging me (and all other customers) $25 per month for the privilege of using email. I can only assume they didn't want to be in the business of providing storage for email anymore.

The most difficult email address to walk away from was my first, and I did it only because I was a single parent raising two special needs adopted kids and couldn't afford the new monthly fee. I'd regained contact with a long-lost grandparent who had lovingly filled my inbox with all kinds of family history, humor, love and personality I can never replicate. I meticulously saved as many of my maternal grandmother's emails as I could before I lost access to the account. I'd saved them on an external hard drive which later bit the dust without warning. I've tried to record in my journal things she shared with me as I remember them, but so much has been lost.

One year ago, almost to the day, I had to give up a 30-year email address. (Above is an actual screenshot from task completion!!!) You'll read more about the life change behind that next week. For now, I'm just sort of basking in the memories as I begin the process all over again with yet another email address I fortunately do not have to give up this time, but in which I've stored email since about 2011. So it is quite full. I recently received notification from the provider that the email storage policy is changing, and I can't afford the extra storage. That delete key is becoming quite active again.

I deleted about 12,000 emails last week; whole folders of needlework ideas, cycling company promos and tour routes and/or instructions, April Fool ads from companies with great senses of humor, "Top 5" lists for which I was a contributor, Ravelry and blog-related emails... I think there were a few others in there, but I'm drawing a blank right now. Suffice it to say, my work hasn't even scratched the surface. It wouldn't surprise me to learn one folder in particular has millions of emails. I began work on it last week, but it's going to take quite a while to sort through what I should keep (for now) and what is no longer necessary.

Sometimes I can get caught in up in the memories. Especially now that our lives have changed so much. Man, did it sting to delete all the old Ride the Rockies emails, back when bicycle touring was such a huge part of our lives. A part of our lives I didn't want to have to "delete". A segment of our lives we both would embrace again with all our energy if we could...

And yet, it's somewhat like spring cleaning, which goes on year-round here. The process literally is liberating and refreshing. It also makes me much more selective about what I save now. Both electronically and in the real world. I've spent way too many years being a packrat. Perhaps even a hoarding packrat. It's good to make room to breathe. Just wish it didn't take so much breathing time to get the job done!

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