The weather has certainly been hinting that spring cleaning is just around the corner, if not already upon us, and with leaves returning to trees and seedlings popping up in planters, we surely have an abundance of growth. One kind of growth we don't want? Mold (unless it's on cheese in which case I break out some crackers). But for the type of mold I'm referring to, I break out a garbage bag, some '90s playlists and an afternoon of cleaning. In addition to getting to live in a nicely organized atmosphere for at least (hopefully) a week, we also get a pretty good look at ourselves and our habits, most of which resound in our society.
1. We are forgetful.
Our forgetfulness is mocked by the receipts that turn up under our piles of paper, the receipts that are old fashioned and only list the price, tax, total and maybe change. The receipts that we don’t remember from where they came, even though the date is from just two weeks ago. The receipts that we don’t know what new item is in our possession because of it.
2. Our country is wasteful.
How many clothing tags, scraps of paper or plastic packaging do we leave around? Every time I toss out a bag a sweater was packaged in, only to be re-packaged to be shipped to my house, I wonder why it is necessary. Are they packaged the same when they’re shipped to a store? Is there really a threat of someone tampering with my shirt that it needs to be wrapped in plastic? Or could you save yourself some money and me some time and the world its clean air and just ship it out in its shipping package?
3. There is a new wave of organization.
It may look disorganized, but is there a system to the madness? Oftentimes, my piles of paper on my desk look like they someone snapped a picture of an avalanche, but I still know exactly where my pay stub from last week is (under the packet that contains Quarto 1 of Shakespeare’s "Hamlet"). Everyone has their own way of keeping organized, some of us are just better at it than others.
4. Some things will always be with us.
In all seriousness, there’s many a time I start to organize a room in my house and come across a dog toy I thought was long gone. But no, there it was the entire time, and my bet is my dog purposely hid it there to stash it away from his older furry brother. I’ve also had this happen with shoes, old uniform vests and a suffocating blanket. It’s a nice reminder that some things will always be with us, in spirit or physically -- like a positive "skeletons in your closet" (I can still feel the heavy wool surrounding my neck).
5. Knowledge is heavy stuff.
Rearranging my bookcases by genre, author or subject is honestly a workout. Sure, novels add up in weight when you try to carry a number of them at a time (special thanks to Dostoevsky, Joyce, Eliot and Tolstoy here), but my best companions in this field are typically anything non-fiction, especially cookbooks. And having all of this knowledge comes at a price, like struggling just to walk across the room with an arm full of books, or on the more intellectual side, there’s always the challenge to file through your brain index and locate exactly the tidbit of information needed.
It’s heavy stuff, even for a brain to shuffle through.
6. A new perspective is the best solution to a problem.
One of my personal favorites (I move around the furniture in my room at least once a season). Changing even which direction your desk faces can solve writers block, get better internet connectivity and switching your bed’s position can help you get a better night’s sleep (or worse if you move your bed alongside the wall you share with a musician or someone who just likes to blare their music late at night). But Panic! at the Disco says it best.
7. Let there be light!
Light is essential to life. Plants need it to grow, humans and animals need it for Vitamin D sufficiency. So making sure there’s enough light being let into your room (either clean those windows or make sure your blinds don’t totally block out sunlight) can help you wake up in the morning. Waking up more peacefully and ditching the pounding of an alarm clock can put you in a better mood for the day.
8. We hold on...and that's a good thing.
I love finding an old photo pinned underneath a quote on my cork board, or a card from a friend that swooped behind my headboard. It’s almost just like time traveling, and sometimes, it still has a smell that can take you back to a moment years past. Like this beach ball I found in my closet, signed by almost every kid from my fourth grade class. (It may look deflated -- and it is -- but it still holds many memories.)
