Weight lifted...
I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.
I used to work in an antique and gift shop in Chester. The woman that owned the store had as much difficulty in throwing things away as I do. She saved stuff that I even thought was odd!
Every inch of space of the desk area in the shop was crammed with stuff. It made it difficult to move, and to find things, but I was kind of used
to that, being that is also my standard operating procedure. I was also friends with another woman that owned a shop in Mendham, and she was closing
her store and moving, so I introduced her to the woman that I worked for because she had some display fixtures and supplies to sell. She told us about
all the things that she had just given away/donated/gotten rid of and what a freeing experience that was. When the woman that I worked for moved
from one store to another, I was no longer working there, but I went in to help her pack things up and she did the same... gave things away/ donated/and got rid of.
And then SHE went on to tell me what a wonderful experience it was to lighten the load. I swore to myself that it’s now time for me to do the same, way past time actually,
but you get the idea.
So, today I went into work and I cleaned off my desk. I have a tendency to save and store everything... ziploc bags, the cardboard hangers that come in the boxes of
Nike slides, the little silica desiccant packets that come in the shoe boxes (yeah, don’t ask...) and then there is paperwork... I save all the reports, the bulletin board is full
of YES YOU DIDs (little notes written from coworker to coworker for things that they did good.... there’s at least 2 years worth of them) , phone numbers of people that
no longer work there, even reminders to me of when certain customers’ birthdays are (no idea why ~ Mrs. Clinton’s birthday is ..... and she will be 86.... I saved that one, because
Mrs Clinton is very cool and I do want to remember her birthday!), shoe sizes of certain coworkers so that I can alert them to great deals, etc.... Anyway, I filled a garbage bag today as
my coworker looked on in disbelief. Then I took the garbage back to the dumpster and said to one of the managers on my way out... Nancy is very confused... I just cleaned my
desk, and the bulletin board, and threw stuff away. He laughed and said, without hesitation....”She probably thinks you’re quitting.” They all know. They are all kind enough to
not ask me why I save all this stuff or what in God’s name is wrong with me.
My plan was to come home today and continue this uncharacteristic behavior at home. But then I looked around, and before I could get started, I decided that I really needed a nap.
Just the thought of it was exhausting. Tomorrow. I’ll start tomorrow. Still... I AM closer than I was yesterday!
Weight lifted...
I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.
I used to work in an antique and gift shop in Chester. The woman that owned the store had as much difficulty in throwing things away as I do. She saved stuff that I even thought was odd!
Every inch of space of the desk area in the shop was crammed with stuff. It made it difficult to move, and to find things, but I was kind of used
to that, being that is also my standard operating procedure. I was also friends with another woman that owned a shop in Mendham, and she was closing
her store and moving, so I introduced her to the woman that I worked for because she had some display fixtures and supplies to sell. She told us about
all the things that she had just given away/donated/gotten rid of and what a freeing experience that was. When the woman that I worked for moved
from one store to another, I was no longer working there, but I went in to help her pack things up and she did the same... gave things away/ donated/and got rid of.
And then SHE went on to tell me what a wonderful experience it was to lighten the load. I swore to myself that it’s now time for me to do the same, way past time actually,
but you get the idea.
So, today I went into work and I cleaned off my desk. I have a tendency to save and store everything... ziploc bags, the cardboard hangers that come in the boxes of
Nike slides, the little silica desiccant packets that come in the shoe boxes (yeah, don’t ask...) and then there is paperwork... I save all the reports, the bulletin board is full
of YES YOU DIDs (little notes written from coworker to coworker for things that they did good.... there’s at least 2 years worth of them) , phone numbers of people that
no longer work there, even reminders to me of when certain customers’ birthdays are (no idea why ~ Mrs. Clinton’s birthday is ..... and she will be 86.... I saved that one, because
Mrs Clinton is very cool and I do want to remember her birthday!), shoe sizes of certain coworkers so that I can alert them to great deals, etc.... Anyway, I filled a garbage bag today as
my coworker looked on in disbelief. Then I took the garbage back to the dumpster and said to one of the managers on my way out... Nancy is very confused... I just cleaned my
desk, and the bulletin board, and threw stuff away. He laughed and said, without hesitation....”She probably thinks you’re quitting.” They all know. They are all kind enough to
not ask me why I save all this stuff or what in God’s name is wrong with me.
My plan was to come home today and continue this uncharacteristic behavior at home. But then I looked around, and before I could get started, I decided that I really needed a nap.
Just the thought of it was exhausting. Tomorrow. I’ll start tomorrow. Still... I AM closer than I was yesterday!