I keep seeing trailers on Viceland for The Purge. Evidently it’s the 4th or 5th movie in the series (but it’s maybe a prequel?), and yet I’ve never heard of it before. So I have no idea if I’m referencing something horrible when I use that title, but it’s what I say in my head (in that deep, movie trailer voice) when I think about tackling my house, so it’s what I’m going to use here.
As I get rid of stuff (or simply glance around at all the stuff I still need to decide if I’m going to get rid of), I’m struck by how many poor purchasing-decisions I’ve made in my life. So many dollars spent on things I don’t need, on things I NEVER needed, not even at the time.
There are many themes to the ill-advised accumulation of shit, but the number one theme is that I hoped it would make my life easier. No, I didn’t hope, I was sure. So much junk bought to pass the time more quickly with my kids (or help them to pass it alone without me). So many toys and chotchkies purchased to avoid a meltdown to just keep us on a tight schedule. I always wanted to do too much, and I wanted to make the doing of too much easier.
My kids are older now, and I don’t worry so much about filling the hours of an afternoon. I don’t buy so many things that I don’t need because I think they will make my life easier. And as I get rid of the many things we now do have, I am reminded that no purchase exists in a vacuum. The price you pay is not just the dollars spent (and the resources expended), but the space in your house and energy required to manage it, and then eventually give it away (or throw it away, which is always the steepest price to pay). So much time and energy. So many resources. The price of everything that comes into our home is so high.
I have a lot more to write about how I spend my money, and why I accumulate so much stuff (enrichment for my kids and buying something for the person I wish I were are the #2 and #3 impetuses for spending and I have a LOT to say on both those subjects), but the topics deserves a lot more thought and reflection. I’m trying to write more this summer, because I know the blogosphere gets stuck in the doldrums during the summer months and I haven’t been pulling my weight as a blogger so I hope to make up for that in June, July and August. I also assume I’ll be dredging up a lot of big feelings as I purge more and more of my stuff, and I’ll need to process it.
So I hope to be writing more. And pressing “publish” more. And responding to comments more. And just being in this space more.
See you again soon!
I love the feeling I get from a good purge! Your posts almost wish I had committed to rent out my house, to give me a much-needed nudge to get rid of some stuff. š
Fantastic point about the trust cost of the “stuff” we buy. I can’t wait to see how you’re feeling 2 weeks from now!
Err… *true cost, not trust cost. WTF?
Hoping you are able to write more. It helps me reflect on me. Know you will have some travel restrictions on access to writing but know you are appreciated and celebrated!