Errands
4/8/01
When I was a kid, Saturday meant bundling the family into the car and doing errands. Typically, the food shopping was done during the week, so these were real errands! We would go to a wonderful place next to the railroad tracks that sold building materials to get sand for my sandbox--there were bins with sand, various sized pebbles rocks, gravel, etc. We would go to Sears Roebuck & Co., and buy tools. We would buy garden supplies. In the summer, we would drive to the country and buy fresh corn at the farm, and we kids would run to look at the cows, who hung their heads over the fence and from time to time showed their amazing tongues, the size of my little brother's head.
Half a century later, I still feel a warm glow of accomplishment when I've spent a Saturday running errands, as I did yesterday. Especially when I do it with someone else, as I did yesterday with Diana.
We went to Home Depot and got some hanging blinds for her kitchen sliding door, and some regular blinds for her son's room. We got some caulk for a leak in her shower. I got a couple of stacking boxes to deal better with junk mail and the flood of newspaper I have been experiencing since I subscribed a couple of months ago. I also got some computer stuff--writable CD roms plus cases, some more floppies and some zip discs.
So yesterday I was talking about clutter, and today I'm buying more stuff? It's actually more sensible than it looks.
Karen Kingston talks also about computer clutter also. The point, which I am quite convinced of at this point, is that outward clutter mirrors inward clutter. So most of my purchases are aids to help organize the flood of clutter on my computer as well as in other areas of my life.
Diana has done wonders with one room in her house. Her desk actually has a significan portion of the top visible. There are sections of wall that have not been seen for years that are becoming visible. Her jewelry is now hung neatly on the wall, where it makes a beautiful artistic statement as well as being ordered and immediately available.
There is far more to do. But the room already feels fresher and more open. She is determined to do her whole house and teach her boys. When she is determined, the devil trembles in fear--it will happen!
The hardest thing for both of us is letting go of stuff. Karen Kingston suggests that we hold on to stuff out of fear that we will not be provided for in the future. She suggests letting stuff go, and trusting that the Universe will provide for you. If you want a new couch, she suggests getting rid of the old one and living with the space for a while until your new couch presents itself to you. Both Diana and I want new couches. In fact, my current one might work well in her space. But it's hard for both of us to just let go of what we have until the next thing is staring us in the face.
And this clutter clearing brings up stuff (a technical term) inside. There is an inner reason for each mess, says Karen Kingston, and I'm a believer. I found myself dealing with anger. Diana found herself dealing with concerns about our relationship. We talked. A lot. There is a lot more clutter left to come, in our houses, in our heads, in our lives. But it's spring, the traditional time for such housekeeping. Onward and upward!
Thank you for reading.
Copyright © 2001 Pete Stevens. All rights reserved.
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