Tues or Thurs each week is my day to make a serious effort at reducing the clutter in my life. The other five days I think of as just holding the line. I have to fight my desire to increase what I have. There are so many temptations. People come into the shop I own and offer us stuff. Do you want... the fabric stash of a dearly departed fabric hoarder, the collection of buttons from grandma that a non-sewer has no use for, the wonderful spandex scraps from a bathing suit company, the stuff they are downsizing as they retire? I so want to adopt all those orphaned sewing items!
I keep having to remind myself that I do not have the space for my fabrics, so I surely do not have room for someone's discards. I'm also trying to pick one item a day to let go of, or find a new home for, donate to a good charity, or just plain throw away. One thing doesn't seem like much but I know that is how they came into my life in dribs and drabs over time; a slow, steady build-up that now is overwhelming in volume.
I also try to make a plan of attack for the next session. I start thinking about it a few days beforehand. Tuesday is only a couple of days away. I've really enjoyed the week away from the effort. I also know if I don't have a clear idea of what pile or stack or corner I'm going to attack, I will just dither and end up not accomplishing anything.
So this Tuesday, I plan to shuttle the grocery bag and a half of books over to the Book Cafe and leave them there to see if I can get any credit towards new books by selling them the ones I have. That will be a bonus. I will be so glad to not have them sitting by my door anymore. They have been there for months, and they fall over at least 10 times a week. I'll deliver the dog beds I made to the SPCA. Hopefully I'll have another box or two of things to donate to Goodwill. This time I know they are going to ask for me to list what I'm donating so I'll be sure to write one up as I go along.
I'm thinking I want to start emptying my closet out. I had a friend come by the shop and tell me about this auction a local private school is having and I have two china collectable horse figurines in their original boxes that I've decided I no longer want to keep but didn't want to send to Goodwill. I wanted them to go to someone who would appreciate their beauty. To have it also help a good cause is an extra bonus. It helps me feel ok about giving it up.
It is a new feeling I'm not used to having. In the past, I gave up my stuff unwillingly, downsizing because the slings and arrows of outrageous ill fortune and I missed and grieved over every lost item. It is different when I'm choosing to no longer carry them with me into the future. Now, I'm looking at everything I own with a different eye. Asking myself if I really want to share space with this thing or that thing anymore or if I would be happier if I have space where things used to be.
I'm starting to look forwards to the day when I have more than a narrow pathway from door to bed and can put my arms out in the middle of the room and not have stuff in the way.
If I take the stuff out of the closet that no longer serves my needs, I'll have room to store the things that are truly important to me. Hopefully a lot less things.
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