Set Apart In Christ

Sonia and I have both moved house a lot. Both previously to being married together, and since, we have moved home a lot of times. When you move a lot, you realise just how much “stuff” you have accumulated and you can get good at getting rid of things. I think I’m pretty ruthless with unnecessary stuff; trying not to let sentimentality drive the decision on whether a particular “thing” is something I need to take with me to the next house. I have a fairly straightforward principal that if I haven’t used that thing since the last move, then I ask myself “do I really need it?” But then there’s the books. I have quite a few books. And I find it really hard to part with them. I’ve accumulated them over many years and I find it very difficult to think of getting rid of any of them. As an academic, books aren’t just for reading, they are for reference, and so I hang on to them because there may come a day when I need to refer to them. Maybe that’s just optimism, or idealism, or me trying to ...

  Are you the type of person who shops at the same supermarket every time? Do you do a “weekly shop” or do you shop as you need to? Sonia and I will shop anywhere for the meal that is just before us. In fact, since we’ve been together, I’ve learned a fascinating thing about Sonia. She has in her mind a kind of “supermarket categorisation system.” From time to time, we’ll be considering what shopping is needed, and where we’ll go to get it, and she’ll respond with a comment like “that Woolworths at such-and-such a place is no good,” or, “that Coles is completely disorganised.” She factors in things like the layout, how good the selection is, the “vibe” of the place. For me, it comes down to practical matters like parking. Can we get in and out easily? What if it’s raining? We work together well and we like shopping and cooking together, but I have to say I don’t know the full extent of the supermarket categorisation system that exists in my wife’s mind. I’m also pretty sure it inclu...