I feel like I’m constantly simplifying things. As an ex-packrat, I’ve come a long way since the days of hiding away every single scrap of paper. I have indeed simplified, and it has made my life much easier. With simplification comes better organization because there is less clutter to place and more space to enjoy, but I don’t feel like I’m done yet.
Anyone who has children can testify to how quickly random junk piles up. American children are boggled down with so much stuff, it’s ridiculous. Toys for birthdays and Christmas, plus random “treats” here and there from relatives and friends who love to spoil them rotten. Before long, the pile of stuff is overwhelming, and.. guess what.. most of it is not being played with.
So, if it’s not being played with, why am I constantly picking it up? Oh, well, because it has to be tossed out while children are sorting them toy bins so they can reach that little bitty thing they want at the very bottom.
Every other month, I go through our stuff and simplify. It’s a never ending process. No wonder it’s hard for us to fathom who live in poverty, without eating utensils or dolls…. because we have more than enough!
It’s hard to ignore the pull of consumerism, though. Even if we don’t ever watch television, we still can’t miss it. Bulletins plastered with BUY ME BUY ME BUY ME. People have become walking advertisements. You can’t avoid it.
My children want to buy canned soups they’d never enjoy simply because it has Dora the Explorer on the label… and they don’t even WATCH Dora!
It’s obviously we’ve lost or forgotten many of the lessons learned over time, like “make do, or do without”. It’s no wonder our economy is in this failing state. We are like a bunch of toddlers with a bad case of the gimmes. I’m not sure if we really like stuff, or if we just have money (or credit) burning a hole in our pocket, motivating us to spend, spend, spend…. on anything!
I feel the need to simplify not only for myself, but for my children as well. Just as I don’t want my children to become addicted to food, to use food for comfort or therapy, I don’t want them to become addicted to money. Retail therapy may give us a short high, but it depresses our pocketbooks and bank accounts!
