Steph, Erma Bombeck & him.  Inspired by Carly 🙂

Ah the art of letting things go.  Mostly stuff, not “mental stuff” (although I am working on that) by actual physical true to life “stuff”.  I hung out with Mr. AP on Sunday which was as always wonderful.  He also just moved.  So in asking my opinion on what I would do personally to make it look more like a home per say.  I at first used the term decorate and then changed it to polish (which he said sounded less threatening) who can blame him?  After all the last thing any guy wants is a woman to waltz in to their home no less and be all heyyyyyy i’ma going to let you finish but first I’m going to do this that and the other thing.  He likes minimalism & who can blame him?  I do as well to a degree, but Christ I have so much stuff its UN-freaking-real!  I also hate bare walls & do love me some photography & art.  So needless to say my walls aren’t covered in them but tastefully decorated.  So he said I was allowed to make him some art awesome!  Let’s just hope that what I have in mind actually comes to fruition, but I think its going to look pretty damn stellar.

Anyway, its spring-ish which means spring cleaning for some.  You see, I must have inherited the pack-rat gene from my father.  I think there’s also some psychosomatic need to  “horde” things because when Jeff & I split, I had nothing.  Well almost nothing.  Thanks to some good friends and  cheap rent, teamed up with working my butt off (not to mention some killer sales) I am the proud owner of things.  Except I have too many things.  I’m sentimental like that, I like to keep reminders of times gone by.  People that have passed on & fond memories.  However when it comes to the point of consuming your precious space you need to get rid of some stuff.

Which led me to a poem by Erma Bombeck:

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”
There would have been more “I love you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s.”
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it , live it and never give it back.

Mostly the candle comment, which oddly enough we were talking about on Sunday (something to do with wedding favors or some such) and how there’s no point in holding onto something that you can actually use.  If that makes any sense?  Also what’s the point of holding onto stuff that you don’t use/want/need?  Oh right, there isn’t.  So essentially I’m scaling down my life some.  I cleaned out my closet (dear God what a job that was) and got rid of a ton of stuff.  I saw no point in holding onto it “just because” . Just because why? Its not as if its some rare one of a kind item that I can never get back again.
Also a lot of it was just taking up too much damn room.  So I’m breaking up with “stuff”, if I don’t have a practical use for it, or some hardcore emotional attachment to it, out to the curb it goes.

Normally I would donate it to charity, but seeing as I don’t have a car craigslist will have to suffice.  I gave it a shot last weekend in spite of being sick and wouldn’t you know it 99.5% of it was gone by morning.  That made me exceptionally happy 🙂  So going to finish off the job and get rid of the rest of it!

Clearing out all this crap makes my head that much clearer!