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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

There's a Story In Everything - Clutter Affects Our Lives



   This is my debut post at Romance Blogs ‘4’ Us and I’m delighted to be here.
   Cluttered spaces and cluttered minds have much in common. Clutter is a weapon of self-sabotage with which we unconsciously block our energy flow and disrupt our harmony.
   Have you ever searched through stacks of paper for an invoice you put on the dining room table two days earlier? As you waste time looking for it you might try to cut a deal with the saint in charge of lost items, as you promise to get your act together. As you may suspect, I’m all too familiar with this cycle.
   I recently discussed clutter by email with our own dear Rose Anderson. She offered up an idea I found very appealing: happily shovel the mess into the basement, brick over the door and walk away!
   Imagine the visual these words created in this author’s mind. Archaeologists in the year 2233 celebrating with champagne at the entrance of a sealed subterranean chamber as they discuss the impact of this cache of artifacts lying just beyond them, and how it will enlighten our descendants about the ancient world. Rose is chuckling from another dimension as she watches them ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over each trinket they uncover with reverence and catalog with precision.
   At times I imagine the gods of Olympus laugh at us when they observe us painstakingly gluing shards back together. Dionysus probably threw that vase against a wall because his wine was not quite chilled enough.
   Speaking of clutter, ancient China had Feng Shui and India had Vastu Shastra. These similar scientific systems are ancient arts of placement and energetic harmony that encourage us to create our surroundings with purpose and intent. The concept is that humans and their dwellings are interconnected, so we benefit or suffer from our surroundings.
   My spring cleaning clock is gone haywire, kicking in for the first time ever in autumn. My inner guidance system senses a shift in our living patterns, a move in 2014. Time will tell.
  A certain ruthlessness accompanies the spring cleaning bug, enabling me to toss things without a second glance. The rest of the year, purging is half-hearted. I’ll go through every page in a two year old magazine, then tear out a few pages I may need someday. I’ve got boxes of such papers, and never need any of them. It’s time to purge and cleanse my home of all the papers I’ll never need, books I outgrew decades ago, and clothes I’ll never fit into again.
   If I had a basement, I’d take a leaf out of Rose’s book and shovel all my old skinny clothes, boxes of magazine recipes I’ve never cooked, and diets that never worked in there and brick it shut. Future archaeologists might decide I was a food fanatic or a kitchen goddess…
   How about you? If you had to shovel some of your clutter into a basement and seal it away for future generations to discover, what three things would you make sure to include?
   You can always see what new projects I’m working on at my website. Thanks for reading!

17 comments:

Rose Anderson said...

Cute post! Archaeologists would indeed think my basement was the mother lode. My craft supplies and drum collection could only indicate a place of ritual. What they'd get from the treadmill and the rest I can't say. I can almost hear "A fine example of a late 20th,early 21st century horder". lol. I've enjoyed your first RB4U post Gemma. Welcome aboard. :)

Melissa Keir said...

I'm a huge declutter person. But that being said... this morning I'm looking for a hat that I had but was probably tossed for one reason or another. Sometimes getting rid of things only means you will need them again!

Tina Donahue said...

Welcome, Gemma! :)

Paris said...

Welcome, Gemma, I really enjoyed your first post! I've noticed over the years that I have seasonal cleaning binges and they last just long enough for me to throw away something that I invariably need or want, later. I've been known to buy back books from the thrift shop or library sale. Three things I would purge--Old make-up is at the top of the list, along with outdated contents of my medicine cabinet. I just donated years of conference clothes that I'll never fit into again but there are probably more items I should have tossed. I think you've inspired me to do a little holiday cleaning:)

Sandy said...

LOL Oh, you should see my office.
What you really need to hear is my husband. He thinks I have a fire trap in my office. All this being said, the rest of the house is clutter free. lol


Unknown said...

Thanks for the warm welcome, Rose. I think your basement would be a source of delight and wonder for ages to come!

Melissa, I so agree! Every time I toss something I haven't used in ages, I suddenly need it again...

Thanks, Tina! :)

Hi Paris, I thought I was the only one who (secretly) buys books back from used bookstores! Your purge list reminded me of one of my worst areas that needs clearing out -- vitamins and supplements. Some are years out of date...

Unknown said...

Sandy, if you have it all contained in the office, you are doing well! My office is "all over the house"...

Marianne Stephens said...

Three things:
Dancing hamsters. Yes, I collected these during an insane period of my life (only excuse I can think of).
Papers I've kept for articles that would "sometime be helpful"...and they've never been looked at again.
Most of our paper books. We use Kindles and rarely read paper books...although I keep special ones!
That would free up space in my house.
Welcome to RB4U!

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

Welcome, Gemma! Great introductory post!

Unknown said...

Hi Marianne... dancing hamsters? That sounds worthy of a blog post! I, too, shall always keep special books on my bookshelves but I've still got a library to rival the public library!

Thanks, Cindy! :)

Unknown said...

I live in a very old farmhouse. I don't have a basement. I rally wish I did. But we have a barn!!!!
Clutter is my life and everyone once in a while - sanity and organization rules. Then clutter wins out. It's my cycle of life.

Unknown said...

You know - I shouldn't write posts when I'm in a hurry -
edited version
I live in a very old farmhouse. I don't have a basement. I really wish I did. But we have a barn!!!!
Clutter is my life and every once in a while - sanity and organization rules. Then clutter wins out. It's my cycle of life.

Molly Daniels said...

Three things: My boxes of writing magazines and clipped articles

My suitcase full of saved old clothing

My box of treasured HS and college 'stuff', which includes my Girl Scout sash and old Valentines.

Welcome Gemma!

Cara Marsi said...

Hi, Gemma, and welcome. Great debut post. I hate clutter. It stresses me. Of course, my office has papers all over, and boxes of my books, and shelves of unread books. I'm getting stressed just thinking of it.

Unknown said...

Victoria, I can relate to your clutter all too well. We fight it back but it comes back as sure as the tide comes in.

Hi Molly, Thanks for the welcome. Your list and mine has much in common.

Cara, Glad to see you here. I hope I haven't stressed you out too much thinking about clutter!

Suzanne Rock said...

Welcome Gemma! My husband has OCD tendencies, and that manifests itself to cleanliness. We do a big purge every year to keep our house clutter-free, but somehow it keeps finding it's way back, lol. Great post. :)

Mary Marvella said...

Hon, my basement is clutter I store for my daughter and even negative files from my EX's Photography studio. I value them and am even trying to sell them for change.

De-cluttering would require a back- hoe and sedating me. If only I could organize instead.

Interesting post.

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