 Tue, Jul 08, 2008 05:41 PM
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2008-03-28  Opinion | ELIZABETH ROBINSON
Smaller house big challenge for pack rats
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| | by Elizabeth Robinson |
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April 04, 2008 | 09:58 AM
My family will soon be moving from the house we've lived in for 12 years to a smaller home, one with a single level, one- third less space, and no basement for storage.
This kind of downsizing requires us to rid ourselves of stuff we don't need, which is a massive undertaking because we never throw anything away.
We are "what if" folks, as in, What if I throw it away and then I need it? This explains why there are four glass coffee pots in my kitchen cabinet.
Every time the coffee maker breaks, we keep the pot. So, if the pot we are now using breaks, we can replace it. If that one breaks, we still have three more. You may be up nights wondering, What if my coffee pot breaks? But we have prepared for any such contingency.
I've always maintained that most pack rats aren't born, they are made. The tendency can be traced back to their family of origin. There is an imprinting that begins in infancy when a newborn peeks out from her crib and sees clutter everywhere.
Kids who grow up in households lax on tidiness often turn into adults who subconsciously seek to recreate that same atmosphere. It's what feels right.
My husband Steve and I were both raised in such homes, although Steve's clutter bug ways are worse than mine.
So the downsizing process is very stressful for him because the sanctity of our vast collection of junk is about to be breached.
Steve realizes we must make some tough choices, otherwise our new house will be crammed from floor to ceiling and we will have to live in pup tents in the backyard.
His dilemma is, he wants to get rid of stuff but he doesn't want to part with it. He wants it gone but he can't let it go.
Every time I target an item for elimination he breaks out in a cold sweat.
Say I've decided to throw away a lopsided Ab Roller that we used for maybe 10 minutes before it spent years gathering dust in the basement.
Steve will try to quell his ensuing panic but he can't help himself.
"Are you sure we want to throw that out?" he asks.
To which I reply, "Gosh, I don't know. Let's discuss it. We could make a pros and cons list and then canvass our neighbors for their opinions so we can come to a final consensus."
It's hard for me to sweat the little stuff since we have some larger items that must go. We have extra couches, tables, beds and a piano for which we will no longer have room.
We also have a major wall space issue. Our current house has plenty of areas to hang things. The new home has very little.
Unfortunately, I am a framing maniac. We have more than 50 photos, paintings and drawings on our walls. Come to my house and I'll probably frame you, too.
My count doesn't include a handful of paintings that my father insisted on foisting on me, along with knick-knacks and ugly wall hangings he bargained for in exotic marketplaces during his world travels.
For him, the joy was in the haggling rather than the possession of these treasures. He would soon realize that he had no use for the purchase and no place to store it, so he would give it to me or my sister.
If I protested, he would feign offense, so I had no choice but to feign gratitude as these odd "gifts" started to accumulate in my basement. A wily pack rat, he was.
But at least I know we have a few things down there that Steve will gladly relinquish.
- www.gwinnettherald.com
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