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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

today, a tomorrow

It's like incessant noise to me.  Like a little yapper dog barking and barking and barking.   Like the sound of dishes being rattled, like chipped glasses rubbing against each other, like squeaky brakes, like a car alarm, like, well, annoying NOISE.

I'm speaking of clutter.

screaming internally
I'm a minimalist.  I don't like a bunch of stuff.  Less is definitely more.  And no, it's not about "saving the planet" or jumping on a trend for self improvement - thus elevating myself above the evil consumer.

It's really just a psychological quirk with me.  When there is a lot of clutter around me, I can't concentrate.  I have trouble sleeping, working, playing, or being productive.

This room, while tidy, would drive me a little nuts.


One of my favorite activities is to take a bunch of stuff and throw or give it away.  Recall that I have paid my children good money to allow me to do just that with some of their stuff.

in my dreams

So, I'm (usually) okay with the fact that, in order for me to have an ounce of sanity at least a minimal amount of minimalism, I must do the bulk of the clearing out and tidying up.  For reasons I don't understand, "stuff" doesn't bother others as much as it bothers me.

Over the past few weeks, the minimalist in me has been pushed to the max.  How that happens, I don't know, but I've just been busy and having to let the clutter management slide a bit.

I thought I would explode from the "noise".

But there was always light at the end of the tunnel.  I kept thinking, "tomorrow".  Tomorrow, the kids would all be at at school and I can get on this.  Tomorrow my tutor schedule will be light and I can get on this.  Tomorrow I'll be caught up with Task A and I can get on this.

Remember how it's said that Tomorrow never comes?  Yeah.

BUT, today, a tomorrow came for me.  No students scheduled.  Kids are all at school.  I got up earlier than the early I usually get up - couldn't really sleep anyway because of all the "noise".

It's better.  It's quieter.  It's tomorrow.
.

13 comments:

Larz said...

I know exactly what you mean! I like to keep things down to a minimum and very clean. I must have learned much of it from my mother who kept a pristine household. Regardless, living with roommates has always been a bit nerve-wracking for me. I generally just constantly clean up other peoples' messes instead of taking the passive-agressive route and hinting that they do it.

Anita said...

Can I get an AAAmen! :)

That got me going. I want to find something and THROW it away!

btw, you can't come to my house yet. My walls aren't covered as in the first pic, however, there are some other areas that will make your head spin! lol

Still working on it. Went to Goodwill yesterday to drop off the inflatable kiddie pool and beach toys.

Thanks for the encouragement...though you may not have intended it as so.

ShadowRun300 said...

I think you would like our living room. My hubby is very much like you. Less clutter makes him feel stress free, so we have very little on our walls, no shelves, and just a few pieces of furniture. I'm beginning to like the simplicity as well! My kids..., well we haven't quite convinced them yet.
I'm glad your tomorrow finally came. You'll rest easy now. It gives me hope that I'll have a 'tomorrow' someday. Unfortunately I know it won't be tomorrow.

agg79 said...

I can see the trend here. Minimalist shooz, paying the kids to clear out the junk, one less kid under the roof. I'd love to clear out our clutter, but somehow we just keep finding excuses to hang on to the stuff/junk. We're organized, but not as cluttered as as some we have seen (aka Horders).

Anonymous said...

I agree with you regarding the clutter, but I live with a Hoarder in training, so I carve out my area and minimalize it. It is my slice of heaven.

Abby said...

My mom always kept our house very clean too. At the same time, though, both she and my dad are total packrats. Clean packrats, but packrats no less. I think that combination made me the minimalist I am today.

Abby said...

Oh no! Not the kiddie pool! Well, I'm glad to be a poster child for the minimalist movement. Carry on!

Abby said...

I think maybe the simple living skips a generation, judging by my kids. Slept like a baby last night in the "quiet" house. I hope you get your tomorrow soon. I'm ready for another.

Abby said...

There's probably a 12-step program... Maybe you could start with the shooz.

Abby said...

Yes, take whatever you can get. I have my minimalist island in the corner of Hoarder ManCave.

lotta joy said...

Every damn time I see a photo in a woman's magazine that shows a BEE-UTIFUL room, I sigh....then think of it as MINE and how I'd toss the stack of books, and the seagull, and the straw balls sitting on the end table....as well as put a few afghans in the closet and......

By the time I'm done, it would look like a monk's cell.

Cozy usually equals visual clutter. and dusting....and tripping...and... I'm with ya!

terri said...

What? So I'm not just being crabby when I gripe about all the stuff that's constantly collecting in my house? There's a name for people like me? I'm a minimalist! Except you wouldn't know it by some of the closets in this place. The whole house is in serious need of purging and now that two kids are away at school, this might be the time to dig in!

Glad you enjoyed your tomorrow and made it productive!

D.Shawnte said...

I hear you. I'm a minimalist myself and i'd much rather have just enough to live with than to have more than I can handle.