NEW YORK, NY: "Throw Out 50 Things" (12/01/09)

Life, we know, is a series of transitions. Cells divide. People meet. Socks disappear in the dryer. As we move through the little beginnings and endings in life, it is important we take a moment to meaningfully decide what we will keep, and what we will let go. Relationships- to people, to objects- are grown this way. Who do we take with us as we move through life? What do we pack away and send to the Salvation Army?

The hardest part is taking stock in such a way that we aren't bringing people or objects with us merely because we've brought them along in the past. We hold on to people longer than we should. We become hoarders of novelty cookie jars and romantic turmoil. Even though this turns relationships toxic, it's hard to let go of some things.

I have two big moves coming up in the space of two months. My mother is moving everything from our childhood home into her new husband's home, and I am moving from one NYC apartment to a location as yet to be determined. In an effort to help minimize any potential packing / clutter / life drama, my mother suggested I read "Throw Out 50 Things" by Gail Blanke. To be perfectly honest, I'm not going to read this book. Self-help books bore me. However, I did read the title and I thought a lot about it, and as a fan of feng shui, I understand the importance of a clutter free life.

Off I went. I started with de-cluttering my Manhattan apartment. I made a pile of things I knew I would not miss for the next two months. I was shocked when the pile was so huge. Do I really live with that amount of unnecessary stuff every day? And that's just objects. How big is my pile of personal clutter? Who am I keeping around who is just as un-missable? Even more shocking and entertaining were the decisions I made in terms of what I needed to keep in order to be happy. Some examples from my lists are below.

What I won't miss:

Several pairs of shoes

Shirts

Kitchen utensils

Jackets

7 bags of varying sizes and degrees of formality

What I need:

An Alligator hat and Jerry-curl wig

A record player

A mirror in a mermaid frame

Towels

Bed.

What I learned from my apartment purge was not what I had always thought I would learn. I assumed I would end up with an ascetic inventory of objects that would keep me in such a state of non-clutter that my lifestyle would resemble the draconian. In fact, by focusing on the things that really get the most use, and really contribute to my quality of life, I am able to best live freely.

An interesting experiment- try for yourself.