I long to have one of those minimalist homes with wide expanses of floor space and no tchotchkes to dust or arrange. No clutter. No collections. I want to be able to move all my stuff from one house to the next in just one or two carloads.
I often look around at the mess in my life and wonder when, exactly, I lost all control. When did the stuff start controlling me instead of me controlling the stuff? This has been in the forefront of my mind quite a lot lately since I’ve moved 3 times in the past 3 years. It gets old, lugging boxes.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those hoarders you see on TV. My home is sanitary. I don’t pick things out of the garbage, and you won’t find dead cats wedged behind my dresser. But I definitely have more than I need to survive, by a country mile.
The irony of it is that 2/3rds of my possessions currently reside in my sister’s garage, 4 hours away, and they’ve been there for a couple of years now. If I can live without them for years, do I need them at all? But there are things there that I love and miss. Certain pieces of furniture, much used tools and items that would really come in handy should I ever be lucky enough to own a home again. These items would also be expensive to replace, but what does it cost me, figuratively, to keep them?
I’m profoundly grateful that cameras are now digital, because I have a ton of photo albums from a bygone age. I’d hate to think of what life would be like if I were to have to collect hard copies and photo negatives for the second half of my life as well. What will become of these albums when I die? They won’t mean a thing to anyone but me, most likely.
And clothing. Don’t get me started. It’s high time I accept the fact that I’ll never be a certain size again. I keep telling myself that if I haven’t worn something in a year it should go. But I never seem to get around to doing that.
Thank heavens I’ve never been the type to own exercise equipment or highly specific kitchen gadgets or, I don’t know, action figures. Things could, indeed, be a great deal worse.
But I often think that if there were a fire, as long as my dogs and I made it out alive, there would be relatively few things I would be heartbroken about losing. Stuff won’t love you. It won’t even like you. It won’t keep you warm at night (unless it’s a blanket or a pair of thermal underwear). The more stuff you accumulate, the less you will be able to travel lightly through this world. And that is something to consider before making your next purchase.
(Image credit: truewoman.com)
The View from a Drawbridge 
You are so right. I used to collect things, but am slowly getting rid of them. It feels so freeing. I have to visualize someone else loving them, in their own way. My mother is a hoarder (sorry, Mom) in her 80’s so it is a big problem. I say, don’t buy it even on sale or free. Take only what you need, and I love the “travel light”. One day someone will have to deal with my stuff. I’m letting go of some things today. Thanks!!
It does feel liberating, doesn’t it? Getting rid of things can be painful, and it can be a monumental head ache, but in the end, it feels very worth it.
Thanks so much!
If you could see our garage, you would feel better.
Hmmmm…
I have started giving away. Our Children express no desire for my collections, Kennedy mementos, Space programs stuff, Presidential stuff, many gifts from Japan, Fenton glassware. record albums, etc.. So I met a young man with a tattoo on his arm, I instantly recognized it as the center plug in piece for a 45 record. After talking for awhile he told me about his collection of record albums. His lucky day, I packed mine all up and gave them to him with great joy, and he received them with joy. 40 years younger, but with the same love. My Husband thinks I am getting more excentric each day, but I think a unsolicited gift is magic, and gives me a little more space. The doll collection went to a girls orphanage with girls of all ages, and a few to a nursing home where the 80-90 yr old women are still smiling and rocking their babies. Some times the search takes awhile, sometime it just appears. But somewhere there is someone that will love my “stuff” as much as I.
I love that you’ve given it so much thought. I’ve just been dumping stuff at the good will store.