I was replacing an empty toilet paper roll the other morning, and I found myself saving the cardboard roll.

I looked at the tube later in the day and thought “save for what?”

“You never know,” I replied, and put the empty tube in the cabinet, along with the other 10 in there, for safekeeping.

Old habits die hard when you’re a parent, and saving odds and ends for school and Scout projects is one of those difficult habits to change.

You never know when you’re going to need the very thing you tossed.

The next day, I replaced my toothbrush. Instead of throwing away the old one, I put it in the bathroom drawer along with a dozen other used toothbrushes.

I stopped and wondered why I was saving all these old toothbrushes.

“To clean the grout,” I told myself.

“Who are you kidding?” a voice in my head sneered back.

Cleaning the grout in the shower with an old toothbrush is one of those cleaning chores I’ve watched a dozen times on YouTube. I’ve yet to try any of them because cleaning an entire shower with one small toothbrush seems like a never-ending job.

But I’ll keep those old toothbrushes because you never know…

As long as I was re-examining cleaning supplies, I thought about the old towels in the laundry room. My system is to use bath towels until the edges start to fray. Then I move them to the garage, or I cut them up and use the squares as cleaning rags.

There’s a stack of cut-up towels two feet high in the laundry room. There’s no way I’ll ever use that many cleaning cloths, but I’ll keep cutting up the old towels because you never know.

When I got to the kitchen, I went through the utensil drawer. I read about the hazards of using take-out black utensils, so I threw the fast-food ones away a few weeks ago. There’s still at least five spatulas in that drawer.

I asked myself if I really needed all those spatulas.

One has a sharper edge and is great for flipping pancakes. Another is long and skinny, and it’s just right for turning over a piece of chicken. There’s a short one I’ve had for years. I seldom use it, but… you never know.

Then I opened the cabinet where we keep the drinking glasses and coffee mugs. I read an article that one does not need more glasses than people in the house. Throw away all those old drinking glasses, the articles stated.

But some of those glasses have been with me since I was in my 20’s. There’s three that came from my grandfather’s five-and-dime store. Every time I use one of those glasses, I’m reminded of The Eade Standard Store, the shelves piled high with everything a household needs.

The mugs are like old friends. Each one has a special meaning. There’s the mugs my daughter-in-law’s parents brought us from Mexico. There’s another one with the name “James” on the side. That mug belonged to my dad, and now my grandson James uses it when he comes over.

One of my favorites is my Barney Fife mug. Whenever the grandchildren want hot chocolate, I get to explain how my brother-in-law picked the mug up for me because he knows my family loves “The Andy Griffith Show.”

So, until I run out of space, I’m going to keep saving scraps of towels, empty toilet paper holders and coffee mugs.

The grandchildren might need empty toilet paper cardboard rolls for a last-minute school project.

If they do, I’m ready.

Because you never know.

 

 This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.