I don’t have a post here this Monday because I spent the majority of my weekend cleaning, painting, and/or packing. D and I are moving out of our place in Northern California at the end of the month and heading down to cooler pastures, more beach-like pastures in the San Diego area. With a move in the works much of my free time is being taken up by the task of insuring that we get our security deposit back when we leave this place. This weekend, with the help of D’s mom, we cleaned all the floorboards and walls, took down all the paintings and posters, patched the walls, and then painted over the patches and any scuffs on them. All this work took place to the background sounds of the disposal or packing up of items.
Moving gives you an opportunity to reevaluate all your possessions. “Do I really need this juicer?” “Do I need all these books/CDs/DVDs?” “Will I ever wear this shirt again?” When these items are sitting on your shelves or hanging in your closet it is easy enough to say “yes,” it doesn’t cost you anything. It’s a different story though when ever item you own has to be packed away. I find myself saying “no” a lot in this situation. The move has given me the opportunity to reevaluate what my possessions mean to me and what amount of stuff I want in my life.
In this situation we’ve found our local thrift store, Craigslist, and Freecycle very helpful… Hopefully, back to normalcy on Wednesday.
I think the stuff we collect belongs in one of four categories: (1) stuff whose former usefulness or attachment expired since we last used it, and is now, therefore, trash; (2) stuff that continues to be useful, at least occasionally, and is therefore a tool relevant to our most likely future lifestyle; (3) stuff freighted with culturally-determined symbols pertaining to ownership that supports both our ego structure and our tribal affiliations as a social being displaying tribal emblems of membership–for example, groupings by age, income, job, ancestral legacy, habits, regional norms, and interests; (4) stuff we treasure as a wonderful, personally resonating element that particularly stimulates our gratefulness for life and the universe. Housing all four categories of stuff is a gamble that both we and our extant culture will continue alive for some years. To purposefully select the stuff you take in changing one’s house, geography, habits, and work place is a deliberate, thoughtful adventure in living that links past, present, and future as coherently as possible. Well done and bon voyage!