Paring down
One of my best friends is into the new phenomenon, “Micro Homes“. Ever since she introduced them to me, I’ve been increasingly intrigued. I’ve seen a few YouTube videos on the subject and the more I see, the more I like.
I’m not saying I’m thinking of moving into one, but the thought of having to pare down my current horde of “stuff” in order to fit my life into 100 square feet (more or less) has gotten me thinking. Do I really need all these DVDs? All these books? If I could only keep a few, which would I keep? Am I really going to watch All of Me again? What about Citizen Kane? I think I was keeping that, and quite a few [unread] books, because I thought it “said something about me.”
Well now its in the “going out” pile. All it said about me was that I mistakenly bought into the idea that stuff = love. Yes, I’ll keep a few books, and I’ll probably keep the All of Me DVD… until six months from now when I do another paring down and it goes, too.
There is much more to do and I’m kind of on a roll now, getting rid of stuff that, frankly, I just don’t need.
heatherjanehogan.com 
Right now I work in the insurance business. When a home burns or floods, we fix it, but first we have to deal with their “stuff.” It’s called content manipulation, and it’s expensive. People keep a lot of stuff. And by stuff, I mean a whole bunch of valueless junk. People are collectors. We think our stuff says something about ourselves, we identify with it. I think about that while looking around my bedroom and pride myself for not having much. Then I realize I’m doing the same thing, but with less clutter. In the fine words of a good friend, “If it serves you, keep it. If not, throw it out.”
Thanks for what you said, Damon! I thought about it as I looked around my condo yesterday and I can see lots of places where I can pare down some more… Good Will is about to get a large donation…
=) YAY! Feels good, don’t it? Can’t wait to do it somemore!
we are on the same wave length sista! i was JUST thinking about this this morning – tiny houses, Christina, simplifying… yep. i was checking out this: http://ourweehouse.com/2011/06/24/actually-living-in-130-sq-ft/