In the summer of 1975 I got a job in a factory that made cardboard Halloween skeletons. My job was to rivet the legs and arms onto the skeletal torso. As the parts came down a conveyor belt, I would grab them furtively and rivet. Then an arm and then a leg and then an […]
Entries Tagged as 'too much stuff'
The seamy underbelly of Halloween decor
October 12th, 2013 · No Comments · Consumer Issues, Decoration Industry, Disposability, Excess of Possessions, Manufacturing
Tags:cheaply made goods·decorations·environmental toxins·Halloween·Halloween skeletons·holiday decorations·non-recyclables·party products·polystyrene·saving stuff·seasonal decorations·Styrofoam·too much stuff·toxic waste
Aftermath of Tragedy: explosions, shootings, storms, & floods
April 24th, 2013 · No Comments · Decluttering, Philosophy
It seemed inappropriate to write about clutter with that whole bombing thing going on in Boston. I was watching and re-watching the videos just like everyone else. Maybe not just like everyone else — I’m not sure. After a point, I made myself stop. I think for a while we do it because we just […]
Tags:clutter reduction·decluttering·despair·throwing stuff out·too much stuff
Collectivitis combined with the ecological mindset
March 18th, 2013 · 1 Comment · Collecting, Consumer Issues, Disposability, Philosophy, The Packrat Mind, Trash Disposal
You might think it’s dumb that I write about things like pen caps and sock hangers — but that would mean you were missing my larger purpose. My assignment (call it a compulsion if you must) is to scrutinize each and every little item and ask the big questions — go all the way back […]
Tags:cheaply made goods·collecting·collectivitis·disposability·garbage problem·landfill·packrat mentality·throwing stuff out·too much stuff·waste·waste disposal
From whence the drive to collect?
March 14th, 2013 · No Comments · Collecting, Excess of Possessions, Hoarding, Packratting, Philosophy, The Packrat Mind
I admit i have a bit of a “thing” about collecting. There’s a-whole-nother category that lies somewhere between packratness and hoarderliness, and I’m in it. The people in this category are called “collectors” instead of packrats or hoarders because they collect things in a systematic, purposeful and orderly way, display their collections in a proud […]
Tags:collecting·hoarding·packrat mentality·saving stuff·too much stuff
Sentenced to sort
February 9th, 2013 · 1 Comment · Decluttering, Passing it on, Recycling, Trash Disposal
A few days ago I took out all the pens I could find around the house and put them on the dining room table so I could sort them: “Pens to keep” and “Pens to get rid of.” But each of those categories has several subcategories, like Pens I love but need ink refills; Pens […]
Tags:clutter reduction·decluttering·despair·getting rid of stuff·pens·plastic·recycling·throwing stuff out·too much stuff·writing implements
The invasion of the vacuum cleaner parts
January 13th, 2013 · No Comments · Excess of Possessions, Passing it on
While everyone at one time or another has encountered the unsolved mystery of sock loss, far fewer are aware of the much lesser known phenomenon of the rampant proliferation of vacuum cleaner attachments. In this treatise, we will explore existing theories regarding vacuum cleaner attachment reproduction; the origins of said theories; the behavioral patterns of humans […]
Wishing you a Simpler New Year!
January 1st, 2013 · No Comments · Decluttering, Excess of Possessions
New Year’s resolutions!? To that I say “Pah!” Everything is a work in progress. Why load up one poor day with so much weight! Alright, I admit it. I do it too. Make vows of one sort or another. But at least I don’t beat myself with them! That’s not what they’re for. If I […]
Tags:clutter reduction·decluttering·despair·encouragement·goals·inspiration·resolutions·too much stuff·vows
Inspirational Tip #1
December 8th, 2012 · No Comments · Decluttering, Excess of Possessions
If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for whoever’s going to get stuck with cleaning out your place after your untimely demise. It could happen. Very few people make it out of here alive.
Tags:clutter reduction·decluttering·encouragement·getting rid of stuff·inspiration·too much stuff
The Profound Benefits of Decluttering
December 7th, 2012 · No Comments · Decluttering
Clutter matters — its presence matters in one way, and its absence matters (just as powerfully, if not more so!) in another way. When I get rid of a bunch of junk and/or put things in order, the shift in my mental state is dramatic! Space opens up, and suddenly, there’s ….. room for a […]
Tags:clutter reduction·decluttering·encouragement·getting rid of stuff·inspiration·start at home·too much stuff