# If you had to throw/give away all your possessions, except what will fit in a shoebox...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-throw-give-away-all-your-possessions-except-what-will-fit-in-a-shoebox/568124>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 18, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-throw-give-away-all-your-possessions-except-what-will-fit-in-a-shoebox/568124 "2011-01-18T21:28:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-throw-give-away-all-your-possessions-except-what-will-fit-in-a-shoebox/568124/61 "2011-01-20T11:37:30Z")

</div>

I have my 1 tb external backup drive that has all my books, music, a number of movies already formatted for my droid, all my family photos scanned in that are meaningful, and scans of assorted documents including my medical records.

my droid, bluetooth headset, charger and spare earbuds.

my wallet with passport, military id, drivers license, tri-care ID card, debit cards for all 4 bank accounts we have, my bail out cash and paperwork from DMV for my handicapped tags and placard.

handicapped placard.

meds, I just got the 3 month bundle in the mail from tricare’s mail pharmacy.

Toothbrush, dental floss, toothpicks and 2 tubes toothpaste.

puck of solid shampoo and carry case [lush ‘big’]

spare glasses and reading glasses that I rarely use.

Worn:  
\*my brand new shoes and orthotics  
\*my spiffy new [winter coat](http://www.onestopplus.com/product.aspx?PfId=57781&DeptId=22168&ProductTypeId=1&PurchaseType=I&pref=cs&pos=4&rec=Certona)  
\*My favorite black levi 501 buttonfly jeans. So worn they are comfy and fit like a glove.  
\*my favorite mens white linen dress shirt that I hijacked off a boyfriend years ago worn over a camisole  
\*undies =) I don’t go regimental ever.  
\*my issue ushanka that I swapped american military uniform parts for years ago.  
\*my issue speznaz fingerless gloves with the mitten pullover thingy

And the shoebox fits into a cloth ‘backpack’ sized to fit it so I can carry it while using my crutches or tuck the folding crutches in with the shoebox if I am using my wheelchair and sling it on the back to carry it. [though i have seen wheelchairs with stuff slung under the seat, mine is a folding chair so stuff really wouldn’t fit under the seat.]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-throw-give-away-all-your-possessions-except-what-will-fit-in-a-shoebox/568124/62 "2011-01-20T15:31:17Z")

</div>

> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> Maybe we should drop the aliens scenario, as that’s clearly causing some people problems.
> 
> The question here is: **Given that you are resigned to the inescapable conclusion that you can only save a shoebox-full of your treasure, what, if anything, will that treasure be?** (and what, if anything, will upset you most to be leaving behind?)
> 
> Obviously clothes are a bit of a problem, because for some people. they represent value - I don’t see any way to resolve this, except to ask for the application of a bit of common sense. You’re not going to be stripped naked, but you can’t keep an excess of clothes, unless you can cram them in your shoebox.

If I can keep my wallet in my pants pocket, with ID, insurance cards and some cash, I don’t need a shoebox. If I can’t, then my wallet goes into the shoebox, and that’s it.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-throw-give-away-all-your-possessions-except-what-will-fit-in-a-shoebox/568124.md?page=3)