And Closer Still

I’m ashamed to admit it, but my house looks like the set of a post-apocalyptic movie. You know, stuff everywhere, remnants of more carefree times hanging on walls, here and there are bags of stuff, some trash, some keepers.

Just need Denzel Washington to walk through reading a script from The Book of Eli: Chapter 2. (There is no such movie to my knowledge, but I wish there were.)

I’ve been attacking this place for days and while I’ve made great progress it just doesn’t seem to be enough progress. I’ve been at it to the point where I’ve suspended my morning walks so that I can get at the tasks still needing attention. So far, that hasn’t been enough. I’m not concerned though, at least not yet. If I’m still looking at the same stuff come Monday (3/20/17) THEN I’ll be worried. So it’s a double-down Saint Patrick’s Day weekend.🍀

Truth be told, last week I kinda got lazy and took off a few days. I needed the time away from the constant purging. Hung out with my friends, and I really needed to do that. That’s not to say I didn’t get stuff done, I did:

• All utilities (water, power, mobile phone, wifi/media) are now scheduled to be turned off at the end of the month
• Several runs to drop stuff off at GoodWill
• Made some hard decisions on what to keep and what to toss

That last one has been the toughest yet. I’ve been going through rounds of purging, and because of that I’ve already gotten rid of superfluous stuff; clothes that don’t fit, tech I don’t use, furniture I don’t need, so on. The purge now is dealing with stuff I do want, or at least I thought I did. I’m asking questions like: Which shirts to keep? Am I ever going to read that collection of books? Do I really need 10 pairs of white sox? ( Actually, that’s an easy one since I seldom wear white sox.)

One thing that’s helped is my focus not only on what to bring with me to Namibia, but also what I think I want to have when I return. I’ve always believed that less is best though I have succumb to a bit of consumerism now and then (which my collection of shirts can validate), so I see this as an opportunity to seriously reduce what I have, and to start gating the stuff I get in the future based on what I need versus what I want.

I think “want” has been a problem for most people, especially those of my generation. We grew up being bombarded with commercials telling us that the newer, bigger, faster whatszit is THE thing to have, and we bought into it. Big house, big car, big tvs, more, more, more! We don’t see what all of that stuff drags along with it: mostly paper. Mounds of it. And it collects and multiplies in dark corners and drawers.

Take your mobile phone for instance ( a favorite media whipping boy), I just shredded a garbage bag full of phone bills, just phone bills, all neatly stapled and stored, from 10 years ago! Back then every text and call showed up on your paper bill that sometimes was as thick as a magazine. I somehow managed to store it in such a way that I didn’t see the bill once I paid it. Out of sight… And so, they accumulated, 3 years worth!

My shredder is getting one helluva workout! (I’m definitely keeping it!)

OK, I need to get back to it.

Stay tuned.