chickintheham

But, then I went to Philly and for whatever reason when I came back home I just started cleaning out junk. It’s an absolute miracle and answer to prayer. I’m not putting pressure on myself… I’m not even setting goals for fear that I lose whatever it is that has inspired me to get rid of my stuff. It’s like that Episode of AbFab where Saffy has a date and Edina makes Patsy tip-toe around and whispers “don’t frighten Saffy!” That’s how I feel. I don’t want to bring back that overwhelmed feeling and give up. I must accept my baby steps.

I’ve managed to get my house to a somewhat better junky state. One I feel is akin to a normal person’s junky state…not Collyer Brother like at all. I’ve got miles and miles to go but “shhhh” I’m tip-toeing around that fact. So far, I’ve cleaned out lots of clothes and lots of trinkets that had previously just been sitting around. I’ve got surfaces people! Surfaces that I can easily dust. Praise God! I boxed up most of my ALA books to take to the library for their store. (That was about 75 – 100 books that previously sat in bags and stacks in my living room) I’ve got a box of CDs waiting to be taken to a CD store for resale. And, the best part has been going through all my old videos. Some of the videos were movies I had bought… But, many of them were just things I had kept unlabeled. The videos are sort of like boxes of chocolate. I’d put one in the VCR and I never knew what I was going to get. I’ve found some great stuff. I found Letterman’s 10th anniversary special. I found an interview of Jason Bateman on the Late Show with Craig Kilborn. I found old PBS specials on Gershwin and Sondheim. Previously, I would not have been able to get rid of that stuff. But, now, I simply watch the stuff then trash the tape. I’ve realized that I cannot be held responsible for archiving television. I’ve trashed about 50 unlabeled video tapes – Go Me! Previously, I had considered asking Santa to buy me the remaining season’s of the X-Files. I already own seasons 1 -4. And, I enjoy watching TV on DVD… but this is what I’ve realized. Netflix is my library. I can get whatever I want from them. As long as I’m a member, there is no need for me to dedicate my precious shelf space to TV on DVD. That was a Spunky inspired decision. She’s been doing that for years… only; I’ve just recently understood and accepted it for my own home. Materials entering into my home are under much more scrutiny than they once were. I’ve realized that perhaps I really was a girl with a problem and problems should be respected, right? I’ve told some of my friends … you don’t serve alcohol to alcoholics… don’t give stuff to a hoarder. If you want to get me something... and you aren’t sure what to get, consider giving me time – hang out with me at a movie or dinner or get me gift cards that can be used responsibly. If you give me stuff… please know that I’m a girl with a problem and I may not be able to commit to keeping it for long for fear of suffocating. Now, I still think that some of the best gifts are those that you wouldn’t necessarily get for yourself or quirky things. I’d still appreciate such things… I never would have understood the glory of glitter without such gifts. I’m just saying, I admit I have a problem.

But, I’m recovering. Thank you God!