Is this weird?

blabla89

This afternoon I've been cleaning out the storage closet in my apartment and purging stuff I don't need anymore. There are boxes and boxes of stuff I haven't even looked at for years, I just moved the boxes from one apartment to another over the years.

In one of the boxes I found an iPhoto book made for me by a guy I dated in college and for a little while after. I flipped through all the pictures of us together, trips we took, days spent with our old group of friends, etc. Those years were a (mostly) great time in my life, and I have some fond memories with him. We parted on good terms when he moved to the other side of the country, and haven't spoken since. I don't miss him or have feelings for him anymore. But looking through those photos made me feel happy and nostalgic, and I feel a little bit bad about throwing away the book. Don't get me wrong here - I love my FI in a way that I've never felt about anyone else. I don't want anyone else and I don't dwell on past relationships. Is it weird for me to feel this way about the book?

lacqueredlover

Not at all.  It was a part of your life.  Just because we meet someone new doesn't discount any prior happy memories with exes.  It's not like parts of your life get erased when you are in a different relationship.  Don't feel bad at all!

RebeccaFlower

I think it's nice you think fondling of an old relationship, too many times people are so angry. I think you should remember the times and toss the book. You don't need it sitting in a box for no reason and it's certainly nothing you're going to display in your home. If you're purging, it's not always about letting go of old/used stuff, it's letting go of things you don't need. 

bethsmiles

I don't think it's weird at all. You don't have to pretend you didn't have awesome times in your life before you met your FI. Those pictures are a great reminder of that time and wanting to look at them and remember those times fondly doesn't really have anything to do with your feelings for your FI.

novella1186

I don't think it's weird. If it's good memories with people you cared about, why would you WANT to throw the book away? It's totally fine. 

climbingsingle

I don't think that's weird at all. 

ShesSoCold

RebeccaFlower said:

I think it's nice you think fondling of an old relationship, too many times people are so angry. I think you should remember the times and toss the book. You don't need it sitting in a box for no reason and it's certainly nothing you're going to display in your home. If you're purging, it's not always about letting go of old/used stuff, it's letting go of things you don't need. 

I love this typo/autocorrect. A lot. 

beethery

I was organizing files on my computer last year and happened upon a drunk video of me and one of my exes making fun of each other. I watched it, got annoyed with myself for wasting time with that guy, and then deleted it.

Don't feel bad about your feelings. You're in the clear.

larrygaga

ShesSoCold said:

RebeccaFlower said:

I think it's nice you think fondling of an old relationship, too many times people are so angry. I think you should remember the times and toss the book. You don't need it sitting in a box for no reason and it's certainly nothing you're going to display in your home. If you're purging, it's not always about letting go of old/used stuff, it's letting go of things you don't need. 

I love this typo/autocorrect. A lot. 

I had to read it like 6 times to be sure I read it right.

Op it's not weird at all! Don't make a point to show it to fi, just put it back in a box. If you don't make it into a big deal it won't be a big deal

Maggie0829

Not at all.  Those are pictures of your past and of good times you had.  I wouldn't want to get rid of them either.  It isn't about the guy in the picture with you it is about the good memories you have when you look at them.

blabla89

beethery said:

I was organizing files on my computer last year and happened upon a drunk video of me and one of my exes making fun of each other. I watched it, got annoyed with myself for wasting time with that guy, and then deleted it.

Don't feel bad about your feelings. You're in the clear.

Oh yeah, I definitely stumbled on a few things that made me feel that way, too. I have unapologetically trashed everything related to the exes I dated before the guy who gave me the book.

theartistformerlyknownas

Your past experiences - good and bad - made you who you are now and got you to the point you're at in your life. It's good to be able to look back on them fondly! I think there's no reason to throw the book out, unless you truly just don't want the clutter. 

levioosa

I have two 2.5-inch binders full of letters from my ex.  After we broke up I put everything in a box; the binders, shirts that reminded me of him, thumb drives full of pictures, gifts, all of it went in the box.  I can't pretend that I wasn't in a relationship for six years, so I don't try.  Sometimes I like reading the letters to see how far I have come and what a different and more mature person I am. But I don't miss the relationship at all, and I'm so happy it's over and done with.  

I'm about to break out the shirts that used to remind me of my ex, because dammit, they were super comfortable and I need more comfy sleep shirts.    

I don't think it's weird.  As long as you're not "fondling" the box every day I think it's perfectly normal.  

RebeccaFlower

ShesSoCold said:

RebeccaFlower said:

I think it's nice you think fondling of an old relationship, too many times people are so angry. I think you should remember the times and toss the book. You don't need it sitting in a box for no reason and it's certainly nothing you're going to display in your home. If you're purging, it's not always about letting go of old/used stuff, it's letting go of things you don't need. 

I love this typo/autocorrect. A lot. 

hahahaha I'm not editing it I had a shitty morning and that just made me laugh so hard. No auto correct, perfectly placed typo. 

OP, I would have said, I throw everything out. I don't like shit hanging around for no reason, so I toss stuff like this.