Hoarding bits of Paper

I do like to collect stuff and have it all nice and neatly filed away, all my bills in one folder, receipts in another, tax stuff in another etc.  And I've developed a humongous collection of them over the past few years, but I found myself yesterday asking the rather sensible question "Do I really need all this stuff?  In what possible circumstances would a dentist receipt for a filling I had 17 years ago be of any use?".  I also had every phone bill I've ever received in my life, all itemised so i could, for instance, look up who I called at 16:34 on the 21 April 2002.  Why, I ask you?  It wasn't a conscious decision to keep them, just every time I got one it got put into a file,  resulting in me having a couple of trees worth.

So yesterday I went through my files and put most of them into the recycling bin (only because I'm moving soon rather than as a result of realising how pointless keeping it all is).  Was quite a difficult thing to do though, it is so tempting to just hold onto the past/keep detailed records.  I also gave a load of clothes away (some of which I'd never worn but bought in a bout of fashion blindness) and junked a lot of other nick nacks and bits of crap that I had lying around the house.

The end feeling of it all being that I'd quite like a minimalist life, so long as I don't have to throw away any of my stuff as I like my stuff.

My favourite picture finding of late is this one :

I'd like to know what circumstances led to this man, being dressed like that, being stood in front of that photo having his picture taking saluting.  Glorious lunacy.  I am sure he's a very happy individual though.