For the past week, I have been spring cleaning, with some home renovations thrown in on the side for good measure. Let me tell you, nothing like a little spring cleaning to open your eyes to the fact that you are drowning in stuff. I am so frustrated with time spent moving stuff, assessing stuff, sorting stuff, cleaning stuff and packing stuff up for when I might need it, that I just want to take a match and gasoline to my stuff. Anyone else feel that way?
What was I keeping that iPad box for? Was there a reason for the stacked shoeboxes in the basement? Oh right, my kids shoes were guaranteed for the school year, but could only be returned if I had the original boxes. Irony — shoes are gone, boxes still sitting there. What are the odds I will ever sew those buttons on? Will I ever fit in that dress again? Do I really need that marketing material from a conference I was at last fall?
And it's not just during spring cleaning that stuff irritates me. It's daily. I try really hard to live by the rule, "a place for everything and everything in its place." My family, however, refuses to play along. Oh look, it's a hamper. Let's put my dirty clothes on the floor beside it. It's too easy to hang our school bags on the hooks provided for us, it's more fun to watch people trip over them in the hall. Whoa, what? You mean to say the toothbrush holder is for toothbrushes? It's enough to make a grown woman weep.
So, I took a break to watch this classic video by George Carlin, because, honestly, I couldn't stand another minute even looking at my stuff. Now that I've laughed a little and stepped back from the ledge, I'm ready to get back to my stuff.
Printer-friendly version