C-R-A-P
It is absolutely amazing how much C-R-A-P can accumulate in one's life, in spite of putting forth every effort to "live simply." Purging the "stuff" raises several issues: first is the "what if I need this in the future?" question. Next is often the "It's such a waste to give/throw this away." Finally there's the "But I really am attached to this" dilemma. I am much more effective in helping other people handle these questions than I am in dealing with them myself!
The ironic thing is that I almost ALWAYS feel better when I have gotten rid of more stuff, and almost always feel crummy when I have spent hours purging and only end up with a little pile/bag/box for disposal. If I can just focus on that feeling of "Whew, it's gone and look how much more space I have gained!!" instead of "But I always LOVE looking through this box of 30 journals dating back to 1983..." I can hopefully avoid some of the aforementioned pitfalls.
Either way, "The Big Purge" (not too dissimilar from Boston's "Big Dig"- lots of excavation, unearthing of stuff, delays, and budget overruns) will be done by Oct. 1, the symbolic One Year in the New House anniversary.
2 Comments:
Been meaning to comment for a while.
I think we could challenge you to a C-R-A-P battle and do very well. There is so much we just need to toss in the garbage. In engineering we have a mantra that applies to how things should be designed.
Mantra:
K-I-S-S (Keep it simple stupid)
This should apply to how we live our lives. Less stuff equals better life.
By
Tony C, at September 20, 2004 at 12:37 PM
The fact that I can now open the basement door, park my bike, and walk a straight line to the stairs is a testament to what purging stuff can do. There's floor space! I can find what I'm looking for (as long as I know where it's being stored)! There aren't all these home improvement materials I think I might need someday! The last couple weeks of therapeutic trips to the Rebuilding Center, the dump, and Goodwill have far outweighed any concerns of possibly needing all that "good stuff."
The more organized we get, the more we feel unburdened by the stress and huge wave of "what are we going to do about ______."
Thanks, E, for inspiring and motivating us to make this happen.
By
Stephen Landau, at September 22, 2004 at 12:54 PM
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