APAD: Keep a thing 7 years and you will find a use for it

移花接木
楼主 (文学峸)

Keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it, 

— a quote attributed to Walter Scott

This is a proverb that suggests that one should hold onto things that may not seem useful at the moment. With time, the item may become valuable or necessary.  It suggests that holding onto something for a significant amount of time increases the likelihood of needing or finding a purpose for it. 

This proverb is a reminder to be resourceful and not too quick to discard items, as they could potentially be valuable in the future. It reflects a mindset of patience and long-term thinking when it comes to possessions. 

“If you keep a thing seven years, you are sure to find a use for it”, Walter Scott wrote these words back in 1826 way before popular culture got its hands on the notion of seven years as a significant milestone, and it continues to resonate today.   It is believed to be rooted in European folk wisdom. It highlights that patience and time can help reveal the true worth of an item or resource. This proverb suggests that it is wise not to discard things hastily, as circumstances may change, and what seems unimportant now could be needed in the future.

最西边的岛上
truesome. but 1 needs 2collect less if keepThatLong. mySon
最西边的岛上
liked 2 collect "things" when young, so I kept throwing

his collection out each week.   Till one day, he said to me: "Mom, are you going to throw me out too?" 

 

7
7grizzly
Great to learn Scott's wisdom and, again, the Chinese was
7
7grizzly
way ahead: 常善救物,故无弃物。
最西边的岛上
Ahhh, that reminds me of 卞和与和氏璧 story !!
7
7grizzly
Need to look up. I've forgotten it already :-)
最西边的岛上
me2 :-). that & 完璧归赵 story told by C-teacher in high School
妖妖灵
我正在断舍离捐掉,发现有衣服标签还没摘~ 不过捐了之后也会物有所值:)
妖妖灵
I go to the ends of the earth唱了这首,你就不用go to the ends of the
妖妖灵
earth听到这首了:

 

Make You Feel My Love 

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love   When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love   I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I will never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong   I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love   The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet   I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love
To make you feel my love       Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Bob Dylan  
暖冬cool夏
True! It also runs counter to those that end up thrown away
暖冬cool夏
Or donated,turning trash into someone‘s treasure:)
天边一片白云
Haha, I won't show this to my husband.
天边一片白云
He likes keeping junk.
最西边的岛上
hahaha, throw/hide them away (but keep him pls ;-))
最西边的岛上
APAD: one man's toxic sludge is another man's potpourri :-))