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Pack Rats Anonymous
by Lina E. Rehal |
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There should be
some kind of support group for people who never throw things out.
Maybe I could start Pack Rats Anonymous. I certainly qualify for
Chairman of the Board. Anyone else wanting to become a member would have
to show proof that they still possess things such as artifacts from the
late 1950’s or earlier, clothes that no longer fit and have gone out of
style years ago, shoes with no purse to match, socks with no mates, eight
track tapes, 45 rpm records, or other “things worth money” that they
are never going to sell anyway. If you can go up in your attic right now
and come down with your old poodle skirt, saddle shoes, football trophies,
your first grade report card, or a light brown cardboard suitcase with
stripes on it, you have Pack Rat-itis and qualify to be on the Board of
Directors.
I am not talking about your collectibles and precious keepsakes
like your Grandmother’s dishes, Annalee dolls, stamp collections, rare
coins, or your Father’s gold pocket watch. What I do mean is all the
“stuff” we collect over the years that we think will be of some use to
us and, of course, never is. Why do some people, including myself, find it
so hard to part with things? Although this totally baffles me, it
doesn’t stop me. My husband and
I went through a horrendous experience not too long ago. A flood in our
condominium resulted in extensive water damage. Having to pack our
belongings in boxes and live like nomads for
over four months was a traumatic ordeal. I missed seeing our dishes,
books, clothes, photo albums, plants, wall hangings, and other personal
items where they belonged, and we agonized over things that were lost. For
months we moved the heavy boxes, filled with our most prized possessions,
from room to room while the remodeling was in progress. We shrugged our
shoulders at well-meaning people who commented on how much “stuff” we
had. When
the long, painstaking process of dealing with insurance companies was
over, and we were finally getting our home back to normal, difficult
decisions were ahead of us. Even a pack rat, like myself, has to learn to
“lighten up” once in a while. I thought I had already done that when I
moved from an eight-room house into a condo with slightly less than one
thousand square feet of living space. Now there’s a real challenge! Determined
to really do it this time, I forged ahead. I threw out various articles of
no use, donated clothing, books, and stuffed animals, and condensed photo
albums by getting rid of pictures of people I didn’t even remember. But,
how far should a person go with this? Why shouldn’t you keep your high
school yearbook if you enjoy looking at it now and then? Is it a crime to
hang onto a favorite old sweatshirt or a pair of comfortable I
found something called a Zen Board on display in a store in North Conway,
New Hampshire. I found it quite fascinating. Using a brush, dipped only in
water, you draw a picture on this board made of special paper. Within
minutes your drawing disappears, allowing you to create yet another
masterpiece. When I asked what if I wanted to save the picture, the clerk
told me I better have a camera handy. Smiling, she explained the theory
behind the Zen Board. The whole idea is to be able to let go of the past
and go on to the future. I bought it anyway, and added it to my collection
of “stuff” that makes me happy. After having
read all the books and articles about simplifying my life and getting rid
of clutter, I have come to a conclusion. My life is not that complicated,
and my possessions are not clutter. I simply have not found a place to
keep everything yet. I absolutely refuse to
believe that if I haven’t worn it in the last year I should toss it. Who
makes up these rules anyway? My rule is if it makes you happy; keep it. |
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