There are way too many useless pretty things circulating in the world. You know, glass bowls, candlesticks, that sort of things.

Today I wanted to clean out some clutter that has accumulated in our home over time: things that we never use that just take up space. The most obvious candidates were some so-called “decorative items” that we’ve been given as gifts years ago, that have only been sitting somewhere gathering dust since then. There’s nothing wrong with them – they are just not our style.

I thought I might try and sell them on Ebay – they may be useless to us, but perhaps someone else wants such things. But when I looked on Ebay to see what category to put them under, I realised that this was completely hopeless. There were hundreds of unsold candlesticks there, with no bids. There are far more candlesticks in the (Ebay-connected) world than there are people who want candlesticks.

I gave my things away to a neighbourhood charity shop instead. I cannot be sure that anyone will ever buy them there, either, of course… It feels like such a waste. I wish no one would ever give me another useless vase again. I’d rather not get a gift, than get another dust-gatherer. Give a gift voucher instead. Or buy an acre of rain forest – at least it won’t take up space at home!