If You're Looking for Something, Get Rid of Everything in Your Way

Have I ever told you that I am the type of person who values experiences over tangible things? Well I am. I have some "things" in my life that are important, but in the case of a fire, I know the handful of them I'd grab on my way out the door. Don't worry, the cat is one of them.

With all that considered, I've been taking advantage of weekend free time to do away with the things in my possession that have become superfluous space-wasters. I've got a few bins and boxes in my closet of things I am "storing." Storing for what purpose, though? I went through those bins and boxes to discover mounds of photos, clothes I hadn't worn in a year but still somehow felt the need to hold on to. Documents from yesteryear, even notebooks from my senior year in high school. Even more college stuff. Financial documents from banks that may be out of business by now.

What I Kept

• Papers from college that I think I can still benefit from.
• Stories and poems from school that I have no other copies of. (Most of it is terrible, but I like to see where I came from.)
• Still relevant financial documents.
• Clothes I still wear often enough.
• Some tapes, CDs, games, and DVDs I still play or watch.
• Letters, photos, various keepsakes.

What I Threw Away

• A lot of shit.

It felt good to pare down so significantly. Most people look forward to spring cleaning to be a time to do this, but for me, fall seems like a more appropriate time. I guess it comes from the feeling of getting ready for a new school year, even though it has been7 years since I graduated college. (Saying that makes me feel incredibly old, by the way.)

I also cleaned out any food stuffs I had been harboring, and replaced them with a bunch of fresh, (mostly) healthy meal-making supplies for the coming week. If anyting, the cleaning out and paring down makes me feel like I have more room and time in my life to be healthy. Hopefully the lack of things to focus on in my environment will ultimately help me focus more on myself.

Working on my new project a little tonight, expect an update soon. Things are still in early stages, though, so hunker down until further notice.

-JSG