A More Relaxed Life Style -or- Unchoking Your Clutter

With reality television shows the rage now a days, I am wondering how many of you find it fascinating to sit and watch other peoples problems and misfortunes? I certainly do not! I find myself wondering and asking many times over and I have voiced my concerns to the television producers on why can't these shows help 'normal people?' Well, maybe that isn't the right choice of words, so let me give you an example:

Many of us enjoy watching the shows where people are hurting. People who hoard, people who are extremely overweight, people who are in credit debt and I am not sure if it makes us feel better about ourselves, if we feel superior, smug or we feel good because others are worse off than we are.

I love my grandmother to pieces, she was my world and the most amazing woman I had ever known. Grandma finished high school and graduated from business school before it was acceptable to be much more than a nurse or teacher, she dressed beautifully, her face and hair were always nicely done, she was generous and caring.

Grandma was also a hoarder. Her home was impeccably clean and neat, but she had over 500 sets of salt and pepper shakers, she kept a footstool with a jumbled up nest of thread inside, she kept every paper napkin, program, ticket or letter she had ever received and when she got sick, it was my hubby, my mom and myself who had to go through years of this stuff. Lots of it was sold and helped pay for her nursing home care.

I have a closet stuffed with clothes, but what struck me last night was the fact that I have 4 sweatshirts. Does one really need that many sweatshirts? One is from my son Justin and his now ex-wife and I love it. Then I have a pink one, a gray one and a blue and white striped one. Why? I don't know!

Somethings I keep for sentimental reasons like each year I keep a variety of the grands school work, place it in files and then in a plastic tub with their name on it and place it into the attic. It has ribbons won, Daisy and Awana vests & books, school pictures, etc.. These items are neat, tidy and put up out of the way.

What about this? Is this clutter? Oh sure, it is in a basket, but it is clutter! Why? Because while I will organize it all and get it all ready for answering my tax accountant questions and remove it from the basket when we are done and file it neatly away...I will fill the basket up again with something else!

Why? I don't know why! I know I don't like it. It reminds me of my messy desk and no matter how much I toss, clean, dust, rearrange, it quickly looks like a mess over and over and over again?

Part of the reason for that is because it is in the living room and it sits in the perfect spot for the kids to set their homework while grabbing a snack, hubby to set the mail, for magazines I will go through and read, bill paying items such as files, pens, pencils, envelopes, labels, etc..

I think we always believe in the back of our minds, we will find time to read that article, make that recipe, try that new restaurant and what really happens is that we pile more and more and more junk on top of the old junk that when we decide one day to finally do it, we can't find it and spend extra time searching for something that is lost forever!

I dream of organization. I dream of the day that Extreme Home Makeover will be on my street screaming...Ranny's Family come on out! Of days spent at Disney World with the kids sipping pineapple slushes and coming home to all my clutter gone or neatly arranged where I can't see it.

Then, Jillian Michaels shows up and tells me she will be my personal coach for an entire year and along with her, my personal chef so I can learn how to cook healthier and tastier. One can't forget the other family members. The Bass Pro Shop has generously donated a boat and fishing gear for my husband and granddaughter so they can take Salmon fishing trips around our state or take us all out onto the lakes in the summer.

Diva girl? Well, someone has generously paid for all her dancing and acting lessons she will need this year and that includes all the cute costumes. One can't forget the boy of the family. He is getting drum lessons, a quad and baseball coaching. Oh how wonderful, one can dream and then...

Then I wake up and all that organization and empty space has been filled up with more things, more people, more activities to put into an already busy day and I am thankful I live the life I have with the people I have in my life!

Have a blessed day and find something to unclutter in your life!