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Cleaning out the clutter
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Democrat
August 31, 2005
I’m a packrat, and I admit it. I have a lot of STUFF in boxes all over the place, and I’ve recently began a massive project of going through all the boxes with the hopes of throwing things out.
I’m not doing too bad, as bag count has now hit around seven in this on-going project. Five of those bags were thrown out this last weekend.
Is there really any reason to still have a dress code for the school district I attended from 1987? What about a coupon for a free pizza that expired in 1998?
I have no idea how all of this stuff has accumulated over the last 25 years, but it has. My need to save everything under the sun is quickly going out the door along with a receipt for CDs purchased back in 1995.
Throughout this process, I’ve found a lot of things I’d thought had been long ago lost. I’ve also found things I wished had stayed missing. However, if nothing else, this has taught me that there is indeed a point in which you have to close your eyes and just let things ago. There is a time to say “No” to various novelty items.
I have borrowed a shredder from my parents, and with it I have been able to destroy old receipts and statements that should have been gotten rid of a long time ago. At the same time, I’ve created a filing system for important documents that I need to hang on to for awhile.
Being a packrat has meant living with things in piles here and there. There have been boxes with more stuff inside.
This is an on-going project, so boxes do still exist that will be eliminated through time. However, I can now see more of my bedroom floor than I’ve seen in a very long time.
It feels good to accomplish a project as massive as a complete overhaul and removal of junk. Few will ever see or know of what all I’ve done, but I know. I know that I’ve gotten rid of old worksheets from school, receipts that date back to the late ‘90s, and my magazine collection has dwindled considerably. It’s as if I’m letting the past go and moving towards the future. I’m making room for what is to come.
I doubt I’ll ever fully get rid of my packrat tendencies. Afterall, I have held on to a few old term papers, and I have concert ticket stubbs that go back to high school days. However, I’m realizing that I don’t have to keep every credit card offer I receive, and when a sale is no longer in effect, the advertisement can be thrown out.
All saving those things does is weigh everything down, and I want to live a little lighter and be ready to take each step in life as they come to me.
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Democrat
August 31, 2005
I’m a packrat, and I admit it. I have a lot of STUFF in boxes all over the place, and I’ve recently began a massive project of going through all the boxes with the hopes of throwing things out.
I’m not doing too bad, as bag count has now hit around seven in this on-going project. Five of those bags were thrown out this last weekend.
Is there really any reason to still have a dress code for the school district I attended from 1987? What about a coupon for a free pizza that expired in 1998?
I have no idea how all of this stuff has accumulated over the last 25 years, but it has. My need to save everything under the sun is quickly going out the door along with a receipt for CDs purchased back in 1995.
Throughout this process, I’ve found a lot of things I’d thought had been long ago lost. I’ve also found things I wished had stayed missing. However, if nothing else, this has taught me that there is indeed a point in which you have to close your eyes and just let things ago. There is a time to say “No” to various novelty items.
I have borrowed a shredder from my parents, and with it I have been able to destroy old receipts and statements that should have been gotten rid of a long time ago. At the same time, I’ve created a filing system for important documents that I need to hang on to for awhile.
Being a packrat has meant living with things in piles here and there. There have been boxes with more stuff inside.
This is an on-going project, so boxes do still exist that will be eliminated through time. However, I can now see more of my bedroom floor than I’ve seen in a very long time.
It feels good to accomplish a project as massive as a complete overhaul and removal of junk. Few will ever see or know of what all I’ve done, but I know. I know that I’ve gotten rid of old worksheets from school, receipts that date back to the late ‘90s, and my magazine collection has dwindled considerably. It’s as if I’m letting the past go and moving towards the future. I’m making room for what is to come.
I doubt I’ll ever fully get rid of my packrat tendencies. Afterall, I have held on to a few old term papers, and I have concert ticket stubbs that go back to high school days. However, I’m realizing that I don’t have to keep every credit card offer I receive, and when a sale is no longer in effect, the advertisement can be thrown out.
All saving those things does is weigh everything down, and I want to live a little lighter and be ready to take each step in life as they come to me.
