Clutter-phobia
I realize I’m unusually anal about some things but I have to say, clutter drive me crazy. My poor wife, I drive her crazy. I’m not saying I’m immune from creating clutter myself but I think I’m just a step or two ahead of most in that I recognize my clutter and actually am working to declutterfy my life.
I think there is something absolutely universal … it’s a drawer in each kitchen in the US. What do you call it? Ours is called the “junk drawer.” Are a society that is incapable of finding a real home for pan caps previously MIA? What about the coupons that are 2 years past their expiration? What’s the obscure, unidentifiable piece of a toy going to do to add value to my life today? Maybe the solution is a Hefty Bag that acts as a drawer liner. That would solve the problem, or at least make one think about why something is being saved for a better day.
My motto lately has been if I can’t find a home for it I send it to the round-file. Now, admittedly this is easier with stuff that isn’t mine. What to do with my own prized possessions without a suitable home? I’ve found a nice sized plastic bowl/container works well. I simply accumulate as much as I can and bring it to my in-home office. There I find some time between work activity to sort through random items like cough drops, sticky notes, loose change, etc.
This makes me think of how Andy Worhol would use banker boxes the same way. He created these time capsules of sorts. I’ve adopted this way of freezing space and time with some of my clothes. I’ve used banker boxes to hold articles of clothing I think my boys will find fun in 10-15 years. That’s when kids in high school often are looking for something to wear that makes them stand out. I’m not talking bell bottoms here, just a fun t-shirt or sweatshirt. Maybe a worn golf cap. How about that ragged pair of shoes. What teenage boy wouldn’t love wearing those?
So, for now, life is less cluttered for me, thanks to the time off with the holidays. We’ll have to see what happens in the next 12 months.