Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

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My two sons have been living with their mother since 2005. I still live in the big old cluttered family house with the family pug. Family pug? I guess he’s my pug because I have been feeding him, taking him to the vet, walking him and cleaning up after him by myself for 9 years.

I digress. The boys’ room is still pretty much the way they left it when they moved out. They were 9 and 7. I brought them over last week to look around the room that still has Winnie the Pooh curtains, to see what items they wanted to keep as I have finally started de-junking the house.

There were at least 100 stuffed animals, 12 Gumby figures, 60 bobble heads, a VW bus, nine different stuffed and plastic Pillsbury Doughboy figures, and an extensive (and expensive) vintage collection of everything related to Bozo The Clown. See, when my kids got into a certain craze, I went overboard and became Mr. Obsessive eBay buyer. I purchased just about everything related that I could find. I think there’s a word for someone who has to go way too far with an action or an idea. I’m not sure what the term is but I’m pretty sure “compulsion” is in there someplace.

So they spent about 20 minutes up in their old room and came downstairs with a few items each. I was flabbergasted! “ You mean that’s all you want to take?” After all the years of collecting and hunting this stuff down for them, they basically couldn’t be bothered with it! They each took one stuffed animal and a couple of trinkets and that was it. I know they inherited my love of music but they obviously didn’t get my “emotionally attached” gene. The boys are almost 19 and almost 17 and I have treated their old bedroom like a museum. I actually sleep in there now because the beds are tremendously comfy. Every time I go in there I look around and sigh, and smile. Where did the time go? How did they grow up so fast? Why don’t they care about all the crap I spent all that money on? Then I turn the TV on and watch Nick at Nite and drift off.

I‘m glad I have finally made up my mind to clean up their room. I think it’s time. I don’t think they are coming back. If they do, they will have a nice clean closet. But I will tell you honestly there are some items I will not be giving to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters. The tiny little suit that my son Jimmy loved to wear in the first and second grade will stay in the closet. I will never take the two boys’ captain’s hats that we got in Bermuda down off the wall. I will also save a few of my favorite stuffed animals. As far as the Gumbys, Bozo items, Pillsbury Doughboys and bobble heads are concerned, I will keep a few and put the rest on eBay … maybe.

Yes, I have a hard time moving on from the past. That room is a testament to a simple time when I was pushing two little boys in a double stroller, walking places with one on each hand, or just watching Blue’s Clues and Barney on TV. I have made a decision. The closet will be cleared out of their old clothes and shoes but the Winnie the Pooh drapes stay. I’ll also take photos of the room before I start downsizing the various collections.

After all that, it looks like the boy’s old room is going to stay pretty much the way it’s always been because it makes me feel happy. It’s my house, and as long as I am still living there that room will be a place where tons of sweet memories live. So I’m not clearing out their room, I’m simply thinning out their things. It’s not hurting anything up there. I guess it is a museum and that’s fine with me. I’ll sell tickets and give tours when they become famous!