The sheer craziness that accompanies minimizing, never really gets discussed as it should. There is, indeed, way more to the thought -and deed- than just exchanging one home space for another, if smaller; much smaller. We cannot overlook the fact that over the years we, single, married, or cohabiting people, have accumulated lots and lots of things. Take the home goods and the tens of no-good, nothing worth knick-knacks. Those obsolete objects of abject nature and of absolutely no value taking up space on every single counter, shelf, and yes, even corners …. Yet, if worthless money-wise, they all seem to carry at least some emotional value, which in turn, makes it so much harder to decide which ones to keep and which ones to cull.
When I start thinking about my clothes, my shoes, my art stuff, I must be honest, I panic. Badly. My husband claims I have enough shoes to start a store. Le Shack is not a store. Well, it could probably fit in a good-sized store, but that is as far as I’d go with the store comparison. It also has one closet. ONE single closet… Sure we will be adding more, but 850+ Square Ft will only allow so many.
That is why I have started the annoying task of culling. A necessary task it is. Everything we bring with us will have a definite meaning, be it functional and/or emotional. The rest must simply go. I have started to “advertise” on Facebook marketplace and closer to the move, we’ll have a couple of “moving sale” type deals.
With minimizing comes the realization that most of your stuff will just not fit. It also entails a new thriftiness idea of using what exists instead of chucking and buying anew. I traded in my very large sitting room for an ocean-inspired smaller but as comfortable sofa and one single comfortable chair. And that is just the beginning.
Minimizing is supposed to mean freedom. Freedom from the chains of “possessions.” The first step to an eco-friendlier lifestyle. I’ll keep you posted.
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