Sometimes it’s necessary to just purge. Collecting stuff can be such a burden, and the mental space required to keep everything ‘sacred’ weighs so heavily that eventually the only sane option is starting over. And yes, this can be a metaphor for many stages of life.
I just went through it in a minor way this weekend, as I was forced to deal with the assorted detritus of several years worth of projects. The last one, a bunk bed for my daughter, resulted in a fine coating of wood dust on every surface of the garage, and enough wood scraps to build a small barn.
My parents have been in town for several weeks now and Grandpa, being retired and a restless woodworker, was ‘inspired’ by his granddaughter (my 7-year old) to ply his skills in her employ. They both got what they wanted; I got another project. Namely, the disassembly of the old bed, reassembly of the new one ( 2 flights of stairs, 2×6’s, and MDF panels, anyone?), and the subsequent cleanup and disposal of said debris.
Both cars are now back in the garage (a result of the persistent voice in my head that sounds remarkably like my wife), and I’m feeling almost restored. BTW, just in case you haven’t tried it lately, Craigslist is the killer app. Within 1 hour of posting the old bed as ‘free to the first taker’, I had 4 responses lined up to drag the thing away. Now that’s an effective purge tool!
I’ve been emailing this weekend with a new acquaintance who’s going through a similar, but completely different, process as she comes to grips with being cast off by our current economy. Say what you want about statistics, no matter how slim the odds may be, somebody IS one of those numbers.
In this case, Keri is one of the recently laid off Microsoft employees who, in coming to grips with her new reality, has taken the philosophical ‘purge’ approach- laying bare her newly unemployed soul with the wry black humor of the freshly jilted. She may be lining up a new career in comedy, which the current economy could certainly use; we need more reasons to laugh now than ever before! Note: due to language and some adult concepts, the above link may not be appropriate for all ages.
Speaking of the economy, here’s one for you:
Q. What’s the difference between a pigeon and an investment banker?
A. A pigeon can still make a deposit on a BMW.
here’s another-
I went to buy a toaster; and came back with a bank.
See, you can still smile.
If you have sorrows that still need drowning, may I recommend chocolate? Quality is the key. No point putting Hershey’s on your hips when you could have the good stuff. We’ve found the chocolate holy grail- handmade custom chocolate truffles, (We recommend the orange) paired with a tasty sweet wine. This is where sorrows come to wallow!