Closet confessions or What if...

A Post a Day in May 14/31

The confession: I didn't exactly follow my own advice from the other day. 

The what if: What I did today.  

The other day, with my early-morning cup of tea in hand, I almost tripped over the row of shoes by my desk that I had left there, as a way to kick-start my closet-clean-out whirlwind. With those shoes there, staring me in the face, it was more a matter of continuing the task rather than starting from square one. I set my tea aside and got to work. 

Bedroom closet: after

I tore through some shelves and a small closet in the basement that had become dumping grounds for an alarming variety of things. I pulled everything out, sorted through the sundry items, and organized them into keepers, give-aways, and garbage. By then I needed coffee. I basked in satisfaction at the order I had created, and, coffee in hand, took myself into the bedroom to deal with the closet there. 

Again, I pulled everything off the hangers and shelves and onto the bed. (A point for Marie Kondo here, who recommends this ‘take no prisoners’ approach to organizing — leave nothing in place, take it all out and down and off. Sort back into a clean clear space. But that’s my limit with her; I draw the line at asking if any item sparks joy in me. No thanks.) Again, I sorted the mounds into logical piles; I put pants onto hangers; I folded sweaters; and I created a pile for give-aways, but — and here’s the point — the give-away pile ended up being just one sweater and a belt. I was surprised, but then I realized that instead of asking myself about joy, I had been asking myself, ‘What if…?’ 

• What if I need a fancy outfit for a special occasion? Shouldn’t I keep this classic (ancient) silk blouse for that one rare occasion? 
• What if I lose the pandemic pounds I’ve gained? Shouldn’t I keep the smaller-sized pants for when that happens? 
• What if the elbows in one shirt wear out? Shouldn’t I keep a few others on hand to replace it? 
• What if I need a zip-up cardigan instead of a pull-over? Shouldn’t I keep it, just in case? 

That’s why the give-away pile ended up being so small: The clothes that went back into the closet are neither ragged nor (too badly) dated, and there is room for all of them. Therefore, I could indulge all my ‘what ifs’. Because, while I dislike clutter and disorder, I dislike shopping more, and I would much rather have a few extra ‘what if’ clothes in my closet than need to replace something I just recently got rid of by being over-zealous in my sorting. 

This tidying and sorting business is not for the faint of heart. It takes time, energy and confidence: enough time, but not too much (or you’ll never finish); enough physical energy to heave and to ho, and enough mental energy to make decisions; and enough confidence to know when to chuck and when to keep. 

The more we do it, the more skilled we become at doing it — and, oh joy, the less stuff there is around that causes us to have to do it. 

Today's modest give-away pile. 

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Land acknowledgement: I respectfully recognize that I live on the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.