Local Voices
Read Connie’s first chapter here, and second chapter here.
Connie Simon
With all the feelings of accomplishment, I’ve seemed to plateau. This is dangerous for a former semi-hoarder who just wants to sit on the deck and enjoy the beautiful weather!
I’ve gotten to the place that EVERYWHERE I look, I need to tackle. Kind of overwhelming, but I stopped and listened to my favorite declutter & cheerleader of dreams, Terri Savelle Foy. ONE THING AT A TIME. ONE thing at a time. I decided to start with what bugs me the most. Kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or my car??? The possibilities are endless, but those are the places I spend the most time and see most often. Can you relate?
As for my car, it seems that every single day of my life I’m hauling things in and out and I DON’T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE! In the words of my darling husband…’THEN DON’T.’ Ummm, ‘Then Don’t?’ What does that look like? Does the grocery fairy magically plan, shop, deliver and put away the groceries? Or the dry cleaning fairy pick up clothes from the hamper, clean them, hang them back in the closet? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ‘THEN DON’T?’ Sometimes I think family members really DO believe in those fairies because there’s no realization that ‘SOMEBODY’ physically does things. Can I get an Amen? Hi, My name is ‘somebody!’
FOCUS! My pity party didn’t change the fact that my car needs attention, daily. I’ve made a conscious effort to be sure the seats are clean of all clutter Every Single Night. It’s actually easier than I thought! My seats have been clean for a long time now, even after the grandkids leave their marks here and there. Honestly, I enjoy the little fingerprints on the windows as they do make me smile. However, not a fan of the half eaten sucker from the bank that’s stuck to floor, or all the sticky handles. Will someone Pleeease explain to me, HOW crumbs can get all over everything when they don’t even eat in the car? LOL it doesn’t matter and it still makes me giggle. I gladly vacuum it up and with a few swipes and it’s all clean & shiny again! Just that quick! Why did I wait so long, I pass the car wash every day and have no excuse to take 5 minutes. Now when I see the car wash, I just stop and vacuum. Doesn’t matter if ‘it needs it’ or not, it’s getting done! I keep a package of dust wipes under the front set to keep my console sparkly as well, and WHEW I HAVE A SHOWROOM CAR BABY!
Now, on to those dust particles that collect in the cup holder & gear shift area. A quick swipe with a wet paper towel and BLING! All shiny again! It’s such a wonderful feeling, seeing a clean car. Once I washed the salt off the floor mats, I was a new woman! Again, WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? It’s so silly to TOLERATE complacency, so don’t do it!
Whether it’s 5 minutes of 30 seconds, I no longer let time dictate to me, I’m taking control! Now to control the kitchen….
Connie Simon
Local Voices is our version of “Letters to the Editor.” The opinions posted here are those of the writers, and posting them does not indicate endorsement by The Lansing Journal. We welcome input from fellow residents who have thoughtful things to say about topics that are important to our community. Send your submissions to The Lansing Journal with “Voices” in the subject line.
This was delightful—thank you! I can absolutely relate to the “semi-hoarder” dilemma, as I am perpetually in that predicament myself. This article brought some much-needed humor to the situation, as well as making me feel better that I’m NOT the only one struggling with this issue, and if someone else can conquer the clutter, I can too!