“Don’t throw that away, we might need it someday.”
Famous last words? No, a common saying around our house and many, many others.
Even in homes that are neat and pretty, there is bound to be a corner of the home that is full of “stuff.”
What is stuff? Stuff is made up of things you thought you needed and put it “away” somewhere so that you’d have it when you needed it. Then that stuff was piled on with other stuff, then more stuff. All stuffed into an area that the original stuff is buried underneath all the other stuff.
Then when it comes time for that object to be used – you don’t have any idea where it is located. So, you go out and buy another one.
Common places for stuff to accumulate are garages, spare rooms, storage closets and what are referred to as “she sheds.”
Regardless of where, everyone has stuff. Stuff we don’t need. But we can’t bring ourselves to get rid of.
One of my favorite pet peeves is the multitude of cables to connect computers, game systems, video players, and more. I don’t dare get rid of any of them. We might need one of them. I know there are several boxes located all around with the other stuff we have stored.
However, when I need a particular cable, I can’t find the box where it might be stuffed into, so I have to go out and buy another one. Sigh.
One of my perpetual resolutions each year is I vow to clean out the garage, loft, she shed, and even a closet or two of all the excess stuff. But every time I start, I get shut down by the arbiter of what can go. Usually my wife, but also my kids, and even (Gasp!) me.
Well look out stuff. I’m going to go after you this year. Honest. Right after I go buy another HDMI cable as I can’t find the box of cables where I know there are a few in that box somewhere. Maybe it’s under here? Ooh, look. There’s that doorknob we bought as a spare 10 years ago!