Stuff, Junk, & Clutter

Katy and I are in the process of moving.  Even though we are only moving a couple of blocks, it is still a process.  This is our 5th move in 5 years and each time we ask ourselves the same question, "How do we have so much stuff?"

The good part about moving so much is that each time we move we get a better understanding of our essentials.  If we didn't use it in our current home, we won't use it in our new home.  If I didn't need to wear it last year I won't need to wear it this year.  You get the point.

Each time we do this I can't explain how much better we feel afterwards.  I once thought I would feel peace knowing I would have something I needed, even if it was in storage.  Call it a materialistic or possibly a slight hoarders mentality but I kept stuff because "you never know when you might need it." What I found is that I might need everything at some time or another so I was collecting all this stuff just in case.

After moving stuff and junk from one storage room to another storage room for the 3rd time, my wife and I kind of got sick to our stomach.  Maybe it's because we watched the show Hoarders, maybe because we spent some time in a developing country, or maybe it was something we ate that day, but the fact remains that we grew a hatred for clutter, stuff, and junk.   We had a fever and the only prescription was organization!

We were doing so good for about a year and then something happened.  We had a baby.  Or maybe I should say we had a baby shower.  We got all this stuff that people told us we needed or we thought we needed and clutter and stuff and junk crept back into our lives.  We began to collect baby stuff with the same mentality "you never know when you might need it" and it was true because as new parents we really didn't know.  But we felt safe knowing that if we needed something we probably had it in a closet, under the bed, under a crib, in a dresser, perhaps in the guest bathroom, or maybe up in storage.

I'm not sure why stuff makes us feel a sense of safety but it does.  And at the same time if this is true, I'm not sure why it feel so good when we get rid of it and simplify.

Let me know if you figure that one out.  Until then, I'll be de-cluttering, simplifying and organizing.