Getting rid of old journals, cards, and pictures

We are trying to clear the basement of unused and unneeded items.  My job for last week was to go through a box full of journals, cards, and pictures.  The journals were from way back.  Some from high school.  The cards were from Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries.  The pictures were mostly from the days before digital.

It was sort of sad to read some of the things that I wrote in my journals so long ago.  Somethings I remember very clearly while other things were reminders of what I must have been going through.  I had hung onto these writings thinking they might be of reference someday.  But after removing so much junk from my father-in-laws old farm recently, I know people are not interested in someones old writings that have no relevance for their own lives.  I look at those writings as practice in expressing myself.  Hopefully I have become better at it these days.  Many of the cards I read through.  Some from my wife I saved.  It was interesting to see how we use to write to each other more often, early in our marriage.  But many cards and Christmas letters I put out in the recycling.  The written word is difficult to get rid of.  For some reason, we have been trained to never part with it.  The pictures reminded me of people who use to be in my life, hair that I use to have, and experiences that I had.  I saved several of these but many I tossed either because the picture didn't have enough meaning or I had a digital file saved.

How do you manage your old journals, cards, and pictures from pre-digital days?