Sorting.

It has taken me a while to get down to it. We have been on quite a kick lately. Sorting, downsizing, minimizing. Why does it feel so good to do so? All the extra boxes of books, papers and knick-knacks.

At some point I had the view that collecting a few things in life–in my case antique-like things–would make for a neat collection. They would add substance to my person. Things like an old Parker fountain pen; an old leather-bound volume of Wordsworth ca. 1924; an Underwood typewriter from the thirties.

It’s not that I don’t want these things any more. It is more a matter of going through it all and cleansing myself of what I know I don’t need. Sorry, none of the above is for sale. Not that you’d want any of it, I’m sure.

The greatest chunk has been school papers and notebooks. Another issue I’ve had, besides copious note taking in school, was to write thoughts and observations on scraps of paper. These scraps abound.

It has been days, weeks maybe. I have gone through boxes of books and these countless little items. The rough sort is done. The whole family seems to be on the same page. Let’s get rid of what we don’t need and live a simplified life. Have you heard of the capsule wardrobe concept? I’m not one for jumping on the band wagon, but it doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

One of the best feelings in all this? Relief. Stuff gone? Feels good. It’s a pretty rewarding cycle. We’re simply donating what we don’t need to the thrift shop. Someone will be happy. And so will we. It kind of feels like the less we own (and we’re getting there) the more of ourselves we can see–and feel.

All this clutter is like the water in a tide pool. How kelp and vegetation floats about when you walk after a Dungeness crab while crabbing. You can’t see a thing. But if you stop, wait and let the sandy waters settle (and the crab, too) you’ll get a good look at what you’re aiming for.

Am I talking about crab fishing? Well, yes and no. Am I the crab in the murky water? Maybe. To my point: stop, settle. Let the waters clear. Clear away the clutter. Then have a look around. You might like what you see.

I’m going to keep on clearing and settling–and see what I can find.