When we moved from Lansing to Grand Rapids (technically Wyoming but I think that might confuse people because one usually thinks of Wyoming as a state first, and not as a city within Michigan) and again, this last couple of weeks – I really got a good overall picture of the fact that we have so much Stuff. We have about 10 toothbrushes, aside from the ones we actually use daily (thank you Dr K, for providing most of those free with dental cleanings), a dozen or more cartridges of dental floss, a horde of this, a gazillion of that, etc. Most of which is not being used. We brought a plastic 3-drawer cart full of “stuff” from Lansing, and for the 10 months we lived in our first apartment here, it was never opened. I don’t even know whats in it anymore (toiletries of some kind I’m guessing, but beyond that, no idea). Cutting the tape open on that sucker is going to be like Christmas.

CLOTHES. OMG clothes. I know, just offhand, there are 3 fairly large plastic totes full of just clothes. Some are mine, some are Barton’s. That we’re not wearing now. That we might never wear. In the fall we took a couple of boxes of clothes to my Dad’s (along with boxes of other Stuff).

I don’t know why this happens. I’d like to think I tend to be frugal in my purchases. I don’t go on “shopping sprees” very often, maybe twice a year. I spend hours in the store(s) looking for just the X thing that suits my need. I have a coupon or its on sale. I buy it, bring it home, BUT.. (like in the case of the damned clothes) I re-decide later that it doesn’t work. The clothes that DO work for me though. I keep wearing those for years. Looking at my ‘wardrobe’ now, honestly, most of the stuff I wear daily looks kinda shabby. :/

“Damn, the legs on these jeans I just bought are too tight. But they didn’t feel that way in the store? Well, shit. I washed them now, they probably shrank. I’ll throw them in the closet and maybe in 6 months I’ll lose some weight and they’ll fit.”

But does that ever happen? Fuck no. And so, the Stuff Grows.

We’re going to be in this new apartment at least until May 2011. Between now and then, the extra, unused, unnecessary Stuff must shrink, and be gone. Really gone. Donated, trashed, sold – not just stored, but really and truly gone. It will be my mission.