the working room: Personal Inventory: Less is More

Personal Inventory: Less is More
Saturday, February 2, 2008

At least once a year I take stock of the stuff in my house. I make the following decisions about these items:

keep,
sell,
or give it away.

Stuff falls into many categories: old computers, sofas, bureaus, shoes, clothing, bicycles, and if it's something I don't use anymore, it's a goner. I may consider getting rid of all my exercise equipment, except for the stationery bike and treadmill. And even one day those may be sold off.

I was walking back to my house one evening, which is a short distance from the mailbox, when a neighbor said to me, "Wow, so much room in your garage. You can still park your car in it."

I said, "Yes, that's true. I don't like clutter."

Most of my neighbors keep their cars in the driveway and on the streets, because they have so much stuff in their garages: tennis rackets, golf clubs, weight lifting equipment, refrigerators, lawn mowers, snow blowers, and everything-else-you-can-think-of. When the door goes up on their garages, I look at their accumulated items and ask myself, "Why?" I always feel, if I'm not using it, I can definitely lose it.

It isn't moral superiority to state that clutter makes me feel suffocated. I honestly feel I can't breathe in a crowded environment. There are rooms in my house that aren't fully furnished.

It's a matter of personal taste. I don't need more things. I like having less of them. Less is more.

A half-empty house is a glorious treasure.

Labels: house, personal inventory

posted by GoldenAh

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