I am finding out how messy the past can really be. I wish for your sake that I was talking about something juicy about my past that would make this really interesting. But what I mean is, the past really does make a mess.
This is just a corner of the office. For the last three days I have been trying to filter through all this stuff. Whats amazing is that I have done this 11 times that we have moved before and still have this much stuff. I am not really a sentimental person. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a master thrower-awayer. I keep the appropriate amount of memorabilia from elementary school projects and dating things. But I also enjoy the exhilarating feeling of lightening our load. I'll lighten your load too. I am even better at throwing away other people's stuff. My dream is to host an organization show like Clean Sweep or one like that where I get to tell people what to get rid of and then spend their money to make it look tidy and organized. And I simply LOVE before and after pictures. It gives me tremendous pleasure. Which is why I haven't posted house pictures yet. It has to be absolutely tidy and put away before I can share. I only wish I had taken before pictures. I suppose it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.
I think the hardest thing to throw away is my college stuff. Clark's collection of MBA material is a considerably bigger mess so he has the assignment to go through it tonight. I took one last look through my notes and papers and tossed them in the trash. It feels like I am actually throwing away knowledge. Things that I used to know--I knew a lot...and my handwriting was no neat...and I had little pictures and diagrams for everything. I find it funny though that a lot of my notes from college are about things that are so obvious now 8 years and 4 kids later. My degree is in Marriage, Family and Human Development. I read through the notes about toddler development and hear myself saying, "Well duh, that's a given". Maybe I would have been a better student now with all this experience behind me. But all of these things are also like reading a journal; which I have also done...my husband, not me, was a superb journal keeper, thanks in part to his Mom who made them write in their journals before dessert every Sunday. But its a habit that he kept through college. It was pure entertainment to read the musings of a love sick studly 13 year old boy but an absolute pleasure to read his entries when we started dating. What a catch. It's like reading old love notes (which I do keep, by the way.) Even shredding checks from 10 years ago is like a walk down memory lane. It reminds me where we were living, what we drove and what we did for entertainment. It has actually been fun. But I am looking forward to the day that it is all finished and put away so that I can enjoy these memories in a more orderly fashion.
13 comments:
i like the anniversary picture in the previous post, showing what 8 years of marriage will get you. you have such a cute little family. and i love videos posted from others lives- i can relate to so many things. as for this post, getting rid of memory stuff is hard sometimes. maybe i need think if i died and people were looking through this stuff, what would actually mean something? i'll have to work on it.
I'll go on the Emily organize me show and give you my clutter and memories - at least some of them! Is there any way you can arrange another visit? No big deal, right?
Everyone needs a room they can just throw the mess in to feel clean everywhere else...Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Oh, just think how delicious this whole project will feel when it is done! I love a good organizing project! Promise you will post an "after" shot...on the flip side, sometimes it's nice to have a room where you DON'T have to be cleaned and organized. Hmmm...
I have no doubt that you will manage to organize that room just the way you want it-eventually. Surely you are not letting a new place, a new house,a sometimes absentee father, three busy girls, an adorable infant that keeps you up at night stand in your way! I still wating for day when Dad lets you tackle his garage. Of course, you would have to take a six month sabbatical!
Come throw away everything in my house please. I am so overwhelmed that I just don't start.
Don't you love mothers who taught good journal keeping. I try, but not as well as Clark's mother or my M-I-L.
Hi new "neighbor"
I am enjoying your blog and getting to know you a little better. It's like sneaking into your house and reading your journal. This is the first time I've read the blog of a friend who has blogged longer than I have known them. And since I've known you almost a week, that isn't hard.
Look how you have me rambling. =) YOUR dream job is hosting a show on decluttering. MY dream job is well, same thing minus the tv. I just haven't figured out how to get customers without legwork or how to tote 3 kids along while I do it. If you can get past those issues and want to go into semi business with me, give a shout!
we are so alike! i love to organize too!!! i like going through it too and remembering everything...but i hate getting started! b/c then i know it will take forever! i really want to come see you guys!! :)
I need to go through the memories and declutter too. It's a daunting task.
I LOVE before and after pictures too. You will post an after, won't you?
I NEEEEEEED you and your organizational skills pronto! I NEED someone to come and throw away my junk. I don't have a problem parting with it. Its just that I can't be the one throwing it in the trash can. I'm weird that way. Help. Please, help. I'm drowning in a sea of messy memories.
This is how my scrapbook area looks and it DRIVES ME CRAZY!! Maybe we should swap areas and clean them out for eachother. Oh, wait. You live on the other side of the country!
Oh, Emily. Your new neighbor is Channing? Tell her I want back on her blog!! And don't listen to any of her stories about me. . .
I wish I had hired you to come throw away stuff at my house. As I sit down to do a major filing throw away session (ANYTHING could be in these montrous STACKS!) I realize that the last time I did this was before my two-year-old was born. Whoa. Scary.
I can't wait to see your "after" pictures!
I don't have this problem yet because all of my 2000+ pictures of the boys are waiting for me to upload to Snapfish. I don't have any of them in hard copies past age 2 months. Woops! I love your quote to live by.
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