January 1, 2016
I’ve been getting messages lately that my life is too cluttered. I’m having trouble finding things (more than usual) like my guitar music and my copies of Where the Sidewalk Ends and Ego-Tripping and Other Poems. The piles of stuff are taking over on my desk at home and at school (more than usual). And then there are the direct messages from Judy that I have too many piles around the house. It’s true. I also have (mostly hidden) boxes and bags of assorted stuff both at home and at school; it all seemed important to keep at some point, but the time has come to let it go (at least most of it).

So, I’m making a New Year’s resolution to clean out. I used that Schuler’s Books gift card from a student (thanks Sophia!) and bought the best-selling book by Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.

By page 15, I already felt like I was in therapy with someone trying to push me to do things I wasn’t quite ready to do…but that I felt in my heart to be true. For example, “People cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking.” Sounds like therapy to me. Here’s another taste of how tricky this endeavor will be: “Unbelievable as it may sound, you only have to experience a state of perfect order once to be able to maintain it. All you need to do is take the time to sit down and examine each item you own, decide whether you want to keep or discard it, and then choose where to put what you keep.”(30) EACH ITEM? Yes, each item. She says to “take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.”(41)

On the surface, her plan makes sense. Until I look around and remind myself how many “things” I own.

In a particular order, by the way. I’m to start with clothes, then books, papers, miscellany (komono in Japanese), and then finally things with sentimental value. Reading this book is like hanging out with some overly organized person for which I would usually have no patience. I seem to be able to tolerate her ideas for a couple reasons: I realize I need to “tidy up” and I can shut the book and walk away from time to time.

I haven’t actually started to clean out. And I wonder when I will have the time to go through each item I own. But the important part seems to be to start.

I read The Story of Stuff and watched the videos. My goals always include being more organized. I recycle many times a day. Simplifying makes sense to me. So why haven’t I done it?

January 27, 2016
I started on the journey. I cleaned out the clothes in my drawers and my hanging shirts. It’s a small step, but it felt freeing to get rid of a bunch of stuff. I threw away or gave away more than I would have before reading the book, but I wouldn’t call it a deep clean. I need to keep at it; next step…pants, sweaters, and then summer clothes. It helps that Judy is on board, too. She’s throwing away things left and right.

Must
keep
some
memories…