So recently I received some sad and familiar news, that my current roommate and friend Steph, was going to move out of our tiny little two bedroom apartment. I say familiar, not because she's moved out before, but because in the year and a half that I've lived in my little Portland adobe, I've gone through four roommates. All of them have said it's not me... but after four of them, I start to wonder what I'm doing to drive them away (haha - just kidding!! well, maybe not). Most of the roommates have moved out in order to move in with their "significant others" or most recently, just to go to a place with a little more space, but it leaves me wondering if I just didn't clean the bathtub enough.
Many a friends have suggested that I move out and find another place, and I could... but every time that I sit down and compare notes on what I'm looking for in a place to live, I see that I've got all those things right in front of me. My apartment has beautiful hardwood floors, natural light, a fenced in backyard, parking, close to public transportation, bike routes, bars, cafes, and grocery store, plus it has style, character, and allows me to have my dog. True, it is a bit more spendy than I'd like, but it's in a trendy part of town so you're gonna pay a bit more for that. As well, it's a bit tiny, but I like tiny.
For the past ten years since I've moved out of my parents place and went to college, I've been living in small apartments. Small apartments physically allow you to have only so many belongings. For me, this a good thing. A hoarder and pack rat by nature, I enjoy the challenge of purging myself of belongings and learning to let go of items. (In fact, I even went to therapy once (or twice) because I was afraid to fall back into my childhood habit of filling every inch of white space on my walls with posters).
Living in a small place, you have to keep it clean. You have to stay on top of "clutter" and the things you absorb, collect, or buy. I hate that so many people get huge houses with massive rooms and then have to go shopping to buy "stuff" to fill the space. Personally, I enjoy getting rid of things to allow myself more "space". I relate the "buying stuff" mentality to folks that always have the TV or radio on in the background of what they are doing, you know... to fill the space. When you think about it, our lives are already filled with so much crap that occupies our time and our minds, we really need to simplify. We need to learn to be okay with less, to appreciate the white space, to be drowned in the sound of quiet. This, is one key reason why i like keeping it small.
Many of you might have heard about the 100 thing challenge. Last year, blogger Dave Bruno challenged himself to limit the amount of "objects" or things he owns to just 100 items. Many, when learning of this, joined in with the challenge and asked themselves what 100 things could they go without. It's interesting to see what items made the cut and what ones didn't. For most, away went the cheap trendy clothes, mementos, give-aways, the three different sunglasses, the five different bottle openers, the six pairs of hats - and what stayed were the functional, useful, and normally more expensive and well thought out purchases and beautiful items.
When thinking of the things I own and the things I plan on purchasing that fill my tiny apartment, I normally keep in mind the 100 thing challenge. I ask myself, is this an impulse buy? Is this this something I plan on using for a long time and will it last for a long time? What purpose does it serve? Do I have something else already that does this same thing? Does this item serve that purpose better, more efficiently, work better, look better? Does it inspire? Can I get rid of something else because I've purchased this item? When it all comes down to it, I strive to own items that are both functional and beautiful. Well designed and made to last a long time. Sometimes, this means that the items are more expensive to start with, but knowing that they will last for a while, I won't tire of them and they serve a purpose in my everyday life... helps guarantee them an honored spot on my shelf or in my closet. It's a question of short term affordability vs. long term value.
Honestly, whenever I go back home to Ohio to visit my parents, I almost have an anxiety attack about how much stuff they seem to have collected over the years. True, they're in their sixties and have lived in the same house for about 35 years and I know how things collect over time, but every time I come home it's as if they've just gone out and bought more and more stuff with out ever getting rid of anything. They go out "antiquing" and buy little trinkets that serve no purpose other than to sit on some shelf and collect dust. It makes them smile, and I'm really happy they enjoy shopping together for "old things" but time and time again - all I see is another thing I'm going to have to "go through" at some sad point in time. In fact, I'm pretty sure that as I type, they're in the process of building another barn to hold more of their "stuff". The way I look at it, if I were in my sixties, that's almost thirty years ahead of me to whittle down the amount of things I own, at that rate... I should have perfected the system of simplification and ideally I should be living in a cabin in the woods with one set of silverware, a chair, and a coffee pot.
Sure, I still have clutter (don't look under my bed). I still have things I can get rid of, I have more coats and bags than I can use at one time, and by no means am I rising to the 100 Things challenge anytime soon... but just asking myself these questions before I buy "stuff" helps me whittle my collection down.
Oh, and if you haven't already watched this little video called the "Story of Stuff" it will greatly change the way you look at what you buy and what you fill your house with.
EDIT ADDITION: it's almost as if the New York Times has been reading my blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment