I am pretty
sure that I am not alone in the desire to ‘unclutter’ my house. It’s amazing
how much ‘stuff’ one collects over the years, ranging from household goods,
collectables (well you might think they are!) and old shoes. It can become so
bad that the word hoarder comes to mind. Maybe I am, maybe I’m not, but I do
have one huge amount of ‘stuff’ to rid myself of.
Where do I
start and how do I achieve a state of blissful minimalism? Anyone who knows me
will be throwing up their hands in shock. What, me getting rid of his beloved
Crown Lynn amongst the other obvious junk I have collected? The latter includes
the ‘As seen on TV’ rubbish, because there is not much I have purchased in that
manner that is any good.
I started
with the obvious and stuck it on Trade Me. Things like the bread maker went for
a good price and it wasn’t so hard to rid myself of that as I won’t be eating
enough bread once I am on my vastly reduced ‘intake.’ It was a bit harder to
sell a really good quality Klinox pot as it had been a present for a birthday from
my dear mother. I couldn’t see a use for it, so I managed to overcome the ‘nostalgia’
aspect and I believe that my Mum would have agreed with the concept of ‘decluttering.’
The next step
was a little harder; going through the cupboards and giving items a ranking on
my newly developed ‘if you don’t use it, then out it goes scale.’ Many items
fell in the ‘out she goes rank.’ Sometimes an item would go to the ‘photographic
department’ ready for imminent posting on Trade me, only to be returned to the
dark spaces from whence they came; then back again. Once the ‘reserve’ had been
met on Trade Me, it was ‘get over it time.’ Oh the pain!
I have a
long way to go, just for the ‘stuff in the house’ division of my cluttered existence.
Then it was onto the outside; you know--- the stuff in the shed. Opening the
door had become a problem and OSH (out health and safety PC thingy) would not
have been pleased to see me covered with all sorts of bric-a-brac as it tumbled
out to meet me. I am sure if these things could speak, they would sing, ‘Please
release me to a better home.’ (Sorry Engleburt or was it Tom Jones? --- probably
for the spelling too).
I was amazed
at the plethora of items from my past and ridiculous ability to collect useless
things; useless to me of course but no to other more adventurous souls. Some of
it, including shoes that had not been worn; God knows why not, but for those examples
of my obsession, I thought the only way forward to ‘uncluttered Nirvana’ was to
give them to hospices and the SPCA shop. Others however most definitely had a value
to a mystery future owner.
Out came a ‘smoker.
I had used it twice and I succeeded in setting fire to the BBQ table on which I
had conducted the said operation. One does learn the hard way and I
subsequently discovered that I could achieve a safer and most excellent result
re smoking fish etc., by using my BBQ. Perhaps I can still sell the damaged
table too.
Delving deeper
into my shed, I discovered that there was a virtual treasure trove of Aladdin’s
delights. I pulled out some fine examples of my past flutters with garage
sales and yes, Trade Me items that I had never used. Out they came and I quickly
bypassed the emotional phase I had for other more nostalgic possessions.
Where to
from here? I wish to attain my spiritual breaking of the bonds by halfway through
this year. I have one heck of a way to go, but at least I have started; just so
long as I don’t buy more ‘stuff’ in the meantime. Maybe e there is the
possibility that I am beyond redemption!
