My name is Jane
And I have a problem
I have too much stuff
With all my home projects going on lately, I had an urge. An urge to purge. I figured since I needed to clean things up around here after the windows were installed, I might as well toss some things. It doesn't happen often. I love my stuff. My stuff makes me feel secure. But occasionally I get in a fired up mood and the stuff starts flying. I removed 8 bags of stuff from just one room. That is enough to hang your head in shame. Especially since I am sure I could fill more bags with what remains in that room, not to mention the other seven rooms of the house. As I dragged each heavily laden bag to the truck, I realized that I eliminated at least 400 pounds from that one area. Purging is even good for the structure of the house! I quickly made my way to the Goodwill before the urge passed. My hands shaking as I handed over all my stuff. My good stuff. And the next day I mourned a little for my missing stuff.
This made me come to terms with my ...issue. While I do recycle an enormous amount of our older items into some new project, this is just crazy. I cant possibly live long enough to use it all. And while I may use some of it, I have to take care of it in the mean time. I have to clean around it and organize it. Keep a mental note of what is where. And you can never find the one thing your looking for anyway. The stuff has taken over. It consumes the house. I think back to the days when my 160 year old house was built. You had maybe 3 outfits, a few good cooking pans, a random assortment of items for daily life and that was it. How liberating that must have been. And while I have an attachment disorder with my stuff, I really want to get scaled down to where my things don't own me any longer. I want to be free.
So I am going to bite the bullet, blindfold myself, and get down to some more tossing. There might be some tears, there might be some fits, but it has to be done. And maybe somewhere, someone else can get some enjoyment from my old stuff.
OR I will lie prostrate one the floor, limbs flailing, clutching my stuff, screaming that "I need it, I need it".
Well... lets hope not.
I think that comment "I need it,I need it" was me for the past 40 years and now your telling me all I should have done was purge it all?but your right,you hit the nail right on the head,why have I taken care of so much,dusted around it and most I HAVE PURGED BUT NOT ALL AND BECAUSE OF THE SHAMBLES OF MY LIFE I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE THAT SOMETHING IS THAT I MAY OR MAY NOT GOT RID OFF,JUST THE OTHER DAY ,A OLD FRIEND STOPPED BY TO SEE ME ,AND I NOTICED SHE DIDN'T PURCHASE ANT BOOTS YET, [ SHE NEEDS THEM MORE THAN I BECAUSE SHE IS CRIPPLED ] I WENT TO LOOK FOR THEM IN 1 SINGLE LITTLE CLOSET ,I WAS BEYOND MAD,I COULDN'T FIND THEM UNTIL SHE HAD GONE BUT THANKFULLY HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HER TO GET THEM,HOPEFULLY BEFORE OUR NEXT SNOW [ HA, IF EVER ] BUT SHE STILL NEEDS HELP TO WALK ON SLICK SPOTS. SO PURGING I WILL BE ONCE MORE,THANKS JANE,FOR REMINDING ME,I NEED REMINDING A LOT .
ReplyDeleteJudy, at least you have family to leave your stuff to. I am the last Mohican in my family, so when I go, it will all go to the State. That is why it is so silly to form these attachments to it. So we will purge together.
Deletewow, Jane was a hoarder. With all the earth-friendly things you do, i'd never have thought it. i figured you'd have downsized ages ago!
ReplyDeleteWho said hoarding wasn't earth friendly? After all, we never send anything to the dump ;)
DeleteGood for you! I have been Spring Cleaning and doing the same thing. You wouldn't believe the stuff we have. "The Italian" has a thing for books, blue shirts and food storage containers. A great deal of the books are staying. I have to tell you, when his house sold 4 years ago and I cleaned it out. There were 4 BIG boxes, those 3' high kitchen packs, of plastic storage containers!! Come on, what does a single man do with that many storage containers?? I put most of them in the recycling. Thank goodness he was working out of state at the time! When I told him about it. He was almost in a panic and told me I better not have gotten rid of his "good ones"!! LOL!
ReplyDeleteRobin, HA! My Mother has an attachment to storage containers too, so I totally know what your talking about. What a strange sickness this is ;)
Delete" I cant possibly live long enough to use it all." My reasoning exactly.
ReplyDeleteAnd, if you haven't used it, worn it or missed it in the past year, chances are you never will...
Dani, I keep trying to tell myself that exact thing. If I didnt use it in the last year it should go. But then I think, well maybe it will make a good rag or something and I end up keeping it. It is terrible! But I am going to keep pushing.
DeleteI am doing the same thing...nearly killed myself cleaning out my boy's room recently....but it feels so good when it is done!
ReplyDeleteStephanie, so true. You feel...lighter! And that is great.
Delete(giggle) You read my mind.
ReplyDeleteKat, oh good! I have company:)
DeleteEven in your need for de-cluttering and cleaning out, I still think you're the most disciplined person I know. So there.
ReplyDeleteP.S. You're awfully young to be thinking you won't "have time" to use all that good stuff you've been stockpiling! (Ooops, maybe I shouldn't have given you any kind of an excuse to stop the simplifying. Sorry. Get back at it!)
Mama Pea, trust me, if I were 18 years old there is still to much stuff to use in my lifetime. And as someone who had to clean out the estates of many family members, and found brand new, great things still unopened because it 'to good to use', it makes you open your eyes.
DeleteOh, Jane. How I wish I could be there helping you.
ReplyDeleteIf it's not useful or you don't love it, it needs to go.
Just think of all the time, energy and money you will save by not having all of that stuff cluttering up your house and your mind. We gotta make room for the good stuff to flow into our lives.
Wishing you peace in your sorting!
Daisy, you are the one person I would LOVE to have here helping. Oh the things you do to organize. You are so right, to much time, energy, and money!
DeleteDear Jane,
ReplyDeleteMe too. But imagine fitting all your worldly possessions in a covered wagon to take west? Really, though, I'm trying to get as close as I can. I suppose it would help if I wasn't so sentimental. Plus, as soon as you toss something, you need it! (Or my son takes an interest after FIVE FREAKING YEARS of not caring!!)
Ahh I commiserate.
~Beth
Beth you are hitting the nail on the head. You do get sentimental to so much of it! AND you do need it after it is gone. I would like to just get rid of the junk and keep the few really good quality things. That way it would all fit in my covered wagon ;)
DeleteI am doing the same thing, in fact almost all of the people I know are decluttering and getting rid of excess stuff. It really is a good thing to do and you feel so much better when you're done. I have so many things that could be put to use by someone else but only if I let go of them and get them out of my house. I hope it gets easier for you and I think it's great that you have made such a good start with all those bags of good things that you took out of your house and gave to charity. Also, don't forget that homeless shelters and womens crisis shelters need lots of things for the people who live there, so you can donate things to them too. Women fleeing abusive situations, often with children, sometimes have literally nothing but the clothes on their backs.
ReplyDeleteSunshine, good idea about the shelters. I must start on the over abundance of cooking supplies soon and that may be a great place to take them.
DeleteYou will do fine! I'm a girl who hates "stuff", not sure where that comes from, no traumatic childhood event comes to mind, but I feel good if I know I can pack up and move in one day (maybe it's the military thing). One thing I won't compromise on is having my space decorated. Only have what you truly love up on your walls, including the color! I purge every 3-4 months and even though we are really light on "stuff" I always find at least one big bag to get rid of LOL. Good luck on your venture, I think you will find yourself freed by the lack of stuff! My personal rule is that if I haven't looked at it/used it in the past 12 months, it's gone.
ReplyDeleteOh my, ever 3-4 months! That is a great goal. That way some of the stuff that you kept in the first cut, can be culled come the second time around if you still have not used it.
DeleteSee Jane work. See Jane sort. See Jane purge. See Jane donate to those who really NEED so much of what we don't need but just "want"
ReplyDeleteGo Jane Go.
See Jane dreaming about what NEW stuff I can get at the flea markets soon. No, I. Must. be. strong!
DeleteHi Jane, I too stand before you as ( I might use that, might need that) or so and so could us that, lol. It's the time of year I guess, I have been doing the same things, I took 4 bags out of one room and have still not hit the closet.. :( but I am looking up, knowing that at some point I will see the whole floor......... I think the more crafty we are the more we see good things in all the junk we collect. :) So just like a good pruner I am pruning my supplies before spring.. I have enjoyed your blog and hope you have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteBlackberry, great point about being crafty. It is amazing how much fabric or yarn I can accumulate, then never get around to doing the craft. Plus all the other goodies you just know can go in some project. Your right. We must prune!
DeleteOh you are in good company! cluttered company, but good company. I have been taking a box or two each week to the salvation army. I do have to be in the right mood to sort and purge or I get absolutely nowhere. I now keep a box in one room so it makes it easier to put things somewhere so they do leave the house. It's working. It feels good. There is just always more. I am very emotionally attached to things so I am sometime kicking and screaming - usually the next day. And it never fails to happen, as soon as I get rid of something I look for it the next week - never fails. I have to take a DEEP breath and s l o w l y release it so I don't panic! Panic would keep me from being productive and stop the purge.
ReplyDeletehttps://emilysincerely.wordpress.com
Well I guess we are cut from the same cloth ;) I so know the feeling. We both need a cleaning sedative ;)
DeleteWow, you are such an inspiration. Just the fact that you keep tabs on all your stuff leaves me speechless. Sure, I have a LOT of stuff, but I have no idea where anything is...exactly. I have vague recollections of seeing things here and there. Listen, Jane. If you can do it, so can I. And, if not, I can blame you for getting me into it in the first place.
ReplyDeleteSusan, there is nothing worse than needing one thing and then spending days looking for it cause you know it is here somewhere. Like I am looking for a tea strainer for a week now. Where on earth is that stupid thing? It has to be here. It didnt have legs. So lets purge together and who knows what me might find.
DeleteOverall, I am a purger as we live in a 2 bedroom house with 1940s closets. There is no room for excess at our house, and you're right, it's mentally draining keeping up with it all and remembering where you put something. We purged our attic recently, and it is very liberating. I found stuff I forgot I had. My friends laughed when I told them I had too much stuff in my attic. They asked me what I could possibly have since I'm a minimalist. It just goes to show you you don't always know people as well as you think you do. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteTWH, I guess we all have a little pack rat in us ;) I think you may be on to something. If you live in an appropriate sized house you just dont have the room to keep the stuff. I lived in a very small duplex before and had very little. I moved here and the extra bedrooms became huge closets. If you build it, the stuff will come :)
DeleteMy problem is I take things to donate to the back door and then go in the front door and buy something someone else donated. LOL ................ guess that's called recycling. I am getting to where I only look for specific things now. (but I did buy 8 or 9 Nutcrackers at Salvation Army at Christmas). I already have about 60 including ones that are Christmas tree ornaments. I don't feel guilty if it is something that can go out in the garden.
ReplyDeleteTL, I am the lady right behind you probably buying the stuff you just dropped off ;) Yep, that is the big problem. It does you no good to purge when you just go get more. And I am salivating thinking about the start of the flea market season. How can you pass up stuff for $.25? I Must Be Strong!
DeleteYOU have inspired ME!!!! I live in a 'family home' built by my ancestors in 1893, on this farm started in 1872.........believe me,......... there is 'stuff' here. I won't part with things that have 'history', but there is plenty here that doesn't......plenty that is just 'stuff'!!!........ I want to imitate what you have done. I love your way of writing-- humor mixed in with reality. THANKS for sharing (and INSPIRING). Doris
ReplyDeleteDoris, welcome and thank you so much :) It is amazing how old farms seem like they just attract lots of stuff.
DeleteJane I had to chuckle at this post. I'm the same way! I can really feel a purge coming on, after we get the kitchen done. I've got kitchen stuff spread out of 6 rooms and it's driving me nuts! Plus Dan's already itching to get started on our spare (a.k.a. storage) bedroom. Thanks for the inspiration. :)
ReplyDeleteLeigh, oh yes I have TWO storage bedrooms. What would I do if someone actually needed to stay at our house? Tent in the yard ;)?
DeleteHey I have a spare tent you can borrow, lol.
DeleteMy husband (Bulldog Man) and I have been down sizing our home for the past 3 years. Donating the good stuff, the rest we recycle or trash. It's hard, especially if you had plans to refurbish and item and you just didn't have a chance to get to it. Keep up the good work.
Sandy, Ha among the mountain of stuff I too have a tent. And that is the truth, we just dont have the time to get to a lot of it, so what good is it?
DeleteI just recently filled the whole back end of my car with bags of stuff to take to the shelter. I have been trying to scale down for the past two years. All I have to do is watch Hoarding on TV and boom, I'm packing up stuff. lol I am slowing beginning to breath easier each day. It feels wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Gail. My Mother claims I come from a long line of boarderline Hoarders. So I often worry about ending up on one of those shows myself ;)
DeleteWay to go Jane! =) This is the second post on the same subject I've read today. It really is freeing to get rid of stuff. All the crap in our basement has been calling to me for the last year - "do you want us anymore? don't forget about us?"
ReplyDeleteI think I have the potential to be a collector, but at some point in the past I started making vicious decisions to get rid of things I'd forgotten I had, etc. I don't miss those things, because I've forgotten what they all were. =)
Hey Aimee, nice to hear from you. Ah collector, that is a much better way of putting it ;)
DeleteBoy, can I relate to this!! And I always feel like I have to go through it all piece by piece and paper by paper to be sure I haven't missed anything important, or accidentally tossed (donated) something I will need later... but that is so time consuming!! Ugh... I'm also the last of the Mohicans in my direct tribe, so I have no need to keep anything other than for my own needs, or a few family things that could go to some cousins. And as for using things rather than saving it for "special", I have a set of sterling silver from a great aunt, who never had children. She USED this sterling silver EVERY DAY. I don't know if this was a wedding gift or what--I suspect it may have been. They weren't wealthy, and they had this and did not have "everyday" flatware, so I suspect they they used this and didn't see the need to buy anything else. And the serving spoon even looks like she may have used it to stir things in a hot pot, as it is worn away on one edge. So this set of sterling isn't pristine--it does look like it has been used a lot (unlike most silverware, especially sterling!). But it is still beautiful, and thankfully she was able to enjoy it every day of her life. And I think of her and my great uncle every time I see it or use it... I think I should use it every day, but can't quite bring myself to do it--yet.
ReplyDeleteI think your Aunt would love you to use that silverware everyday! I bet she got much enjoyment from it and you should too. I think we all need to use 'the good stuff' everyday because when we are all gone, it may just end up in the trash or at the thrift store. Better to enjoy it now :)
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