My name in Brett and I am a hoarder. I hate to let things go. And at the moment I’m having a minor crisis as I force myself to throw out things I know I’ll never need again but I can’t bear to part with.
And this is just the start. Once I reduce my possessions in Abu Dhabi to two suitcases and a carry-on bag, I will be back in Australia trying to pare down the accumulations of my entire existence into a manageable amount.
Finally, I hope, I am going to declutter my life. If I don’t do it now, I never will.
There are items in storage that have not seen the light of day for 30 years — through countless moves both within Australia and around the world, plus what’s left from an entire marriage that ended nearly 10 years ago.
If I’m being unsparing now, I’ll be ruthless in a month’s time, weeding through the detritus to find the things I really need or desperately want to keep.
And, as any sentimental fool will tell you, that is not easy. Small things — a badge, a CD, a tie, a book — can mean a lot. But when there are thousands of them, it’s just ridiculous.
Surely I shouldn’t need visual prompts for my memories, apart from pictures, which can now be conveniently stored on very tiny media.
But photos are just not the same as tangible items. Sometimes you need to touch or smell something to remember its true value.
I can’t talk myself out of this. Drastic action is needed. It starts with decluttering and will continue with other important changes to make the rest of my life more manageable (and, hopefully, longer).
This has to be done. I will post updates!
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