Many, many years ago I read a quote by Ellen Degeneres on ridding life of clutter. "One can spring clean or move". How true her statement is. Nothing can rid one of their worldly, USELESS possessions than moving. And having moved about every two or three years since leaving my parents house in 1998, I know this to be the best method for de-cluttering crap. The problem with this method is there are always items one cannot simple bare to part with. It is because of this thinking that our crap has been spread out over several places. Some at my moms, some at his moms, and some at friends houses along the way. Over the years, these places have dwindled. Unfortunately, most of this crap was just moved to his dads where it has been sitting in a storage box since moving out of our suburbia house seven years ago. Sure, the box has been organized and cleaned, removed of clutter and double sets of everything (how many sets of incomplete measuring cups does one really need?), and then piled up with more crap purchased along the way.
Actually, this has been done several times and yet it is still full of crap! As a matter of fact this was just done last year in April when a hail storm blew holes in the roof and everything had to be sorted, cleaned, and discarded if ruined.
Today, however, today is the DAY all of our combined crap will now be in one location and that location is just outside my door. Not two cities over, not three hours away, not buried in somebody's back 40 growing trees and is home to a family of raccoons. Today, all of our crap collected since we started collecting crap will be at home. Oh, how nice that is to be able to say. I can already hear the statements: "Honey, can I have the roaster oven from the storage box outside?" Not that I say things like "honey" nor do I even own a "roaster oven" but it is one of those items people have to have to only be used once a year. I was trying to make on point, okay.
What is even more important about today's spring cleaning is we are now at a point in our lives where we know where will be in the next ten years. Hot damn, this means we will be able to de-clutter our lives. This is a constant struggle for us. Me, because clutter drives my OCD crazy. The Planner because it consumes him. All the time and energy spent on hobbies and activities done only to participate for a few weeks, months, or worse, not at all. No matter how simply one tries to live, living requires crap. And crap collects more crap and then one day you realize you are inundated with piles of crap. Some of which is ever used! Have I mentioned the roaster oven?
I read a quote once about not being attached to physical possessions allows for more time to follow ones' dream. Well, my dream for as long as I can remember was to have a few chickens and a garden. Simple right? Just having the ability to have a few chickens and a garden requires so much CRAP. Wanna build your own coop from resourced materials? Sweet. That requires with just the basic of basic materials a saw, a hammer, and some nails. Do you have any idea how long it takes to build something with just a saw, a hammer, and some nails? Weeks, months, and years. By the completion of the chicken coop, if it is ever completed, frustration levels will be so high, chickens will no longer be wanted or desired. Therefore in efforts to have chickens quickly, because hey we are Americans and we want everything yesterday, the tool list grows and grows. Now there are tools both corded and cordless, tools with general and multiple use functions, and tools for specific functions. There are tools to cut wire, to cut plastic, and to cut wood. There are tools for screwing, stapling, and nailing. There are tools for set up, prep up, and clean up. There are tools for everything. What should have been a simple coop for simple non-complex chickens has resulted in more and more CRAP. Was the crap needed? Yes, without a doubt. Will the crap be used elsewhere? Hopefully. Is the crap taking control of my life? Yes, and double YES!!!
But as I was saying, just living results in the accumulation of crap. Case in point: just to write this blog resulted in the purchase of a computer, a cordless mouse, and a soft sided bag for carrying protection. More crap! Don't even get me started on the amount of crap purchased, borrowed, and acquired for the usage in building Plan473. Hello, an entire box was bought just store crap. Ugh. So there are days when I look around at all the CRAP and I want to run screaming into the night. But damn, running requires socks, shoes, shorts, and a shirt. See, what I mean. Crap.
But I digress. In order to free myself from the possessions that are ready to consume me, the Planner and I have decided to only take items this weekend from the storage box that have a foreseeable usage in the next few months. Not items we would like to use again: hiking sticks and backpacks, crochet needles, books, and thread, and college textbooks and notepads (like I am ever gonna read Calculus II notes again!). Only usable/useful tools (not the broken pitchfork from 15years ago), kitchen/home supplies (can't wait for the day for a fullsize oven), and fishing/camping gear. Yet, with these strict stipulations, there was still an entire trailer loaded with crap.
But it is useful crap, or at least that is what I keep telling myself. But don't worry, even with piles and piles of crap to sort through, argue over, cry over, and inevitably store again because I just could not bare to give away this or that memorabilia, there was time to play. Once, it was fixed and usable that is. What better time to fix broken tools than during spring cleaning!
