Bold Claim

Raoul’s Two Cents: February 27, 2026

Spring Cleaning

If you don’t want to ponder, move on to the Jokes.

Spring isn’t due till later next month but I’ve been thinking about cleaning up our garage already. I confess that I’ve got pack rat in my DNA. I come from a family of Philippine pack rats. My grandmother owned a warehouse located a few blocks away from our home that was full of junk. She collected different colored wine and medicine bottles — red, cobalt, green and violet. There were rows of old leather shoes, boxes of Perla laundry bar soap, Camay body soap and stacks of old newspaper. To add to her addiction, she even ran a pawn shop littered with typewriters, accordions, xylophones, adding machines – just stuff! When you realize that she survived the ravages of the Spanish-American war and the Japanese occupation, it all makes sense.

She was so thrifty that whenever anyone needed a new pair of slippers, she would repurpose old shoes — cut their sides and turn them into sandals. She even collected balls of string and wire that she picked up while walking in the street.

THE FIRE
My Mom woke us up in the middle of the night: “Wake up! Hurry! There’s a fire!” Half asleep and wearing our pajamas, we walked a few blocks away to our cousin’s house where we watched the flames rise high into the night. We had to close the windows because of the overpowering stench of smoke, burning wood and plastic. I could hear and see people who were like bees bustling about in a beehive — men were directing the exodus while others carried away their life possessions in boxes and bags. We could hear the sirens of the fire truck and the crackling sparks of the giant bonfire. It was a nightmare.

Come daylight, we were told that grandma’s ancestral Spanish-era home burned down to a crisp. Along with it burned her precious warehouse. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Sorting through the smouldering pile of ashes, I dug up her melted bottle collections. Surprisingly, some of the soap survived. Many were half burned. I remember washing my hands with half-sized bar soaps because grandma (true to form) cut out the burned portions and saved the good halves. She never rebuilt that warehouse … she started buying property instead.

WORLDLY POSSESSIONS
We all know that we can’t take our stuff with us when we die but, comparing the pile of stuff collected in our garage and my grandmother’s warehouse, I can see the same pattern rekindled: In my garage, I see piles of old artwork, favorite VHS tapes my kids grew up with … my kids’ toys, my son’s basketballs and volleyballs, board games and drawers of business paperwork. How do I sort these out? Where do I draw the line between heirloom and fire-hazard junk? I have no inspired solutions. Do you?

In her website, clutter expert, Marie Kondo, offers a “simple but effective organizing system that uses a transformative criterion: choosing what sparks joy; with her method, (she claims) you will learn to listen to your inner voice and make space for the life you want.” Hmmm….

I guess I have some heavy reading and belly button meditation to do. In the meantime, here’s a song written by Jim Webb and sang by Amy Grant. It’s called “If These Walls Could Speak.” The song explains my thoughts when I part with my sentimental clutter. This is why it’s hard for me. Like my grandmother, I too grew up with very humble beginnings.

Here are the first few verses of the song:

VERSE 1
If these old walls
If these old walls could speak
Of things that they remembered well
Stories and faces dearly held
A couple in love
Livin’ week to week
Rooms full of laughter
If these walls could speak

VERSE 2
If these old halls
If hallowed halls could talk
These would have a tale to tell
Of sun goin’ down and dinner bell
And children playing at hide and seek
From floor to rafter
If these halls could speak

CHORUS
They would tell you that I’m sorry
For bein’ cold and blind and weak
They would tell you that it’s only
That I have a stubborn streak
If these walls could speak

TGIF People!

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Quotes of the Week

“Treasure your relationships, not your possessions.”— Anthony J. D’Angelo

“I hadn’t thought that I was generally a pack rat, but it turns out I am.”— Joan Didion

“There’s not a platinum record hanging in my house anywhere. It doesn’t exist here. I’m over it. They’re all in the garage, wrapped up in bubblewrap.” — Jon Bon Jovi

“And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.'” — Luke 12:15

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:19-21

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Sharon of Oakland, California.

Parting Shots

Thanks to James of Los Angeles, CA

Thanks to Barbara of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Donna of Whittier, CA

Thanks to Jennifer of Los Angeles, CA

Thanks to Fred of Long Beach, CA

Thanks to Bev of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Norm of Encino, CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

I found these:

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

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