Some of you may or may not know, people pay me to sort their stuff. In some circles, it's known as 'Professional Organizer'. Pretty hoity-toity title, if ya ask me...LOL
I blame my friend, Linda*. She taunted me with her home, inviting me over to help organize this or that. She generously compensated me for my time, recognizing that I brought value to her home with this skill set.
For ten minutes I attempted to have my own business. It did not work out.
After some 'encouragement' from my husband.
I digress...
In the year I've worked with this company.
I have worked with
- hoarders.
- grieving adult children, having absorbed their parents' things
- a few clients that just need a little nudge to get the purge process underway.
- young, middle-aged and older clients
I have heard and listened to so. many. stories. so. many. memories.
Celebratory, happy, sad, and everything in between.
The resounding theme and underlying vibe
ATTACHMENT.
To ALL the things.
The follow-up question,
What do they do with All The Things?
Oof.
That's where I come in.
Let's begin by debunking the shows you see on Netflix.
I do not arrive with a sponsored cargo van in tow, full of purchased organizing bins.
I do not have a camera crew following me to document 'The Journey'.
I do not 'dress cute', as I have a standard uniform that allows me to uhm...work.
While I do watch the occasional organizing show, it is unrealistic to think in 8 hours we will find 'joy' in the items (nobody got TIME for that!) or to think the rainbowed pantry is actually functional. Home Edit or Marie Kondo, I am not.
That is NOT reality.
Let me tell you what reality looks like on a job, on any given day.
'So, tell me, why are we keeping the Gardening Today magazines dated back to 2001?'
'I may reference it or need to look something up.'
'Can you look at this issue (holding it up) and tell me one thing in here you'd look for?'
*crickets*
'Ok...do you know about Google?' (I am not this cold, you get the gist though)
'I just want to keep them.'
'Alright' *smile*
And into bins goes 20+ years of magazines.
I do not exaggerate.
Or how about $4,448 in storage costs. *GASP* Shocking! Who...oh, wait...
Three years ago, someone died.
There was no will.
Their things went into storage units.
THREE. YEARS. AGO.
To include, and not short of
Furniture
DVD's.
Laser Discs and the player (remember that 10 minutes of technology?)
Records.
Cassette Tapes.
Medical books.
Artwork.
The job was to go through ALL the boxes in order to prepare for the Estate Sale.
Estate Sales, by the way, are fancy garage sales, with pictures online.
As I moved box after box and several furniture items, it occurred to me.
At one time, these items were new and current.
They were purchased, touched, and moved into a home with anticipation and excitement.
Someone paid full price at one time.
That person died.
Strangers came in, boxed, wrapped and moved items into storage.
We, strangers, were touching, moving.
There will be a sale.
Other people, strangers, will pay a very low price and move things into THEIR home.
Another day, in the future, their children or a relative or strangers will....
Sell, move...etc.
Do you see the pattern?
Do you see the problem?
I'm not saying live without.
Absolutely ENJOY your things. I have several things I look at with fondness. I take several trips down memory lane. There are things that SHOULD bring you joy. We want to relive a memory on occasion.
What I AM saying - keep up with it.
Purge quarterly.
Really THINK about if you 'need' something - or TWELVE of something.
Think about WHO will be left to touch, move, decide.
The burden I see in the relatives left behind to contend with All The Things is heart-wrenching. One client had asked her parents to go through their things, while they were still alive. Even suggested hiring a company. They said, "We don't want strangers going through our things."
Whell...
As Smoky The Bear says, rather, his close second cousin,
No comments:
Post a Comment