Do you have storage woes or down-right wars?

[“If we could just have the kitchen and a bedroom, that would be all that we need.” Julia Child, LHSP.]

[“I don’t know where you go to the bathroom, Julia, but I figure I’ll always want one of those too.” G. Harrison, July 4]

Chapter 2 of Little House on a Small Planet (LHSP) is entitled ‘Choose What You Need.’

Because many people in Canada and the US live by the credo “build or buy as much house as the mortgage company will allow” they now live in a house larger than they need, knee deep in things they once really wanted but no longer use. Let’s call the stuff what it really is - the flotsam and jetsam of the partly empty-headed North American lifestyle.

Admittedly, some are quite happy to be buried in possessions. And some are not, especially those who can’t find their way to the bathroom after drinking two cups of coffee before going to work this morning.

LHSP shares the following re a related matter, i.e., the long-term storage commitment:

The pull is great: over a billion square feet of personal, away-from-home storage space is now rented in the U.S., much of it heated and cooled. Interestingly called self-storage, this “industry” has increased forty-fold since 1960, making it larger than the music business, and economically more profitable than the movies.

(Note to self - The Transformers franchise is huge, but I should invest instead in storing other people’s stuff.)


["Do you face storage woes? Wars?"]

It fills a space about the size of 300 huge office towers, or about 100,000 city pocket parks. And much in long-term storage is never valued again... (pg. 24)

The author is right. Much that is in storage has no value, except to producers of exciting reality shows on TV, like Storage Wars and Auction Hunters, and the ‘hunters’ who make a living selling stuff that the original owner no longer remembers or enjoys or can afford to store, etc.

I’d like to share one suggestion from LHSP related to stuff in storage or in drawers or closets or boxes in the basement.

“Every year when I can’t shelve a new book or close a drawer, I am inspired to get rid of one hundred things. It’s a nice round number, and a manageable task. I number a sheet of paper from one to a hundred and begin to scout for items I can do without.” (Joyce M. Carey)

Hmmm. Recently, while decluttering, I’ve boxed up dozens of items for the Good Will or curb. Maybe I should start a list, see how long it takes to get to 100 items, discover what has value and what does not, and learn more about my choices, wants, needs.

Brilliant. Where’s a piece of paper?

***

If you make a list (“Good-bye Stuff!”) let me know.

Please click here for more about a related matter - the culture of big.

.