Lighten Up!

I hate clutter, but sometimes, behind closed doors, it can sneak up on you. Out of sight doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The lengthy bouts of inclement weather we have endured this spring have also made for unintended, positive consequences. Forced time indoors and the ensuing purges from closets, basement and attic are not only freeing but a trip down memory lane as well. Read on for my quick impressions and whether any resonate for you. • Clearing out • Five trash bags worth of clothing • Weight lifted • Holding on to the dream/image/notion of a secret/glamorous life waiting beyond • The never worn striped sweater a la Audrey Hepburn on a Mediterranean yacht • Sky high purple heels for the red carpet • The chandelier earrings for the paparazzi • More mundane; the comfortable look that feels more like a Halloween costume • When do we really get our fashion sense and what is it a reflection of? Frozen in time. • False eyelashes • Gold headbands • Outerwear for the après ski moments in the chalet perched on a mountain top overlooking a quaint Alpine village where the locals are sipping hot toddies. • What about cooking utensils, dishes, glasses, and more? • All to be used when entertaining, baking bread or making pasta from scratch. Seriously???

And suitcases…too many to count, multiplying in the attic like a science fiction movie. Where did 20+ suitcases come from? Admittedly we travel a lot and have done so for many years. Also, the size restrictions have made it almost an impossibility to keep up with changing regulations for check in and carry on. Too big, too small – feels like Goldilocks, tortured to find the perfect piece…for now. Is it identifiable?

• Who else would have a red suitcase with a day-glow green tag? • What are we ignoring? • Holding onto? • Prepared for anything? What emergency? • Too many novel story lines. The glamour of sashaying through an airport looking ever so put together, lightly pulling the perfectly sized piece is an image for the big screen. • Reality. More like dragging, pulling, and negotiating the byzantine JFK check-in procedures/process. This is not 1960! And airports…Imagining the places you could be and the experiences you could have. People leaving + returning = adventure.

Readying the bags for donations or trash day. Someone out there will love and feeling lighter already!

©MWeisner2017

#suitcases #purge #clearingout #travel #clutter #adventure