I admit, I have been becoming a packrat!
I do like to keep stuff, though I'm definitely NOT one of those who keep old food wrappers for "sentimental value". I'm NOT that crazy!
However, back in the early 2000's, I have developed a hobby of collecting articles, whether it's from newspapers or from online.
And I would organize those articles into folders. I would have separate folders for different subjects like economics, foreign policy, immigration, etc.
The problem was that I was having less time to organize those articles into folders, yet those pieces of paper have been piling up.
I have been buying those HUGE grey containers to place those piles!
And those grey containers have been taking so much space in my small apartment!
Plus, those big grey containers have been cramping whatever social life already. Hard to invite friends (or groupies) in a small apartment with those containers taking up space!
And when my parents visited, they kept complaining about those containers and piles. Me being easily defensive, told them "you dont like it, I'll keep them just to show you I refuse to be tiny-managed!"
I kept telling myself, one of these days, you'll have time to organize those piles!
Time to face reality --- I'll NEVER have time to organize those piles!
So last night, I started throwing a whole bunch of paper piles in the big trash can outside!
A feeling of relief has come to me!
I'm nowhere near done! I still have more big grey containers to empty!
But that's my new personal project ---- emptying out containers, and make more empty space in my small apartment available again!
Make it easier to invite relatives, friends (and groupies) again!
And start having new hobbies that don't involve clutter!
Plus, if an article is so important, I could easily preserve it by citing, quoting and linking them on my blog!
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PS: To anyone who tells me "see, your parents were right", if they still kept complaining, I would NOT have gotten rid of my piles!
Just like when my oldest brother used to nag me about "watching too much TV" back when I was about 10-14 years old!
After that, my oldest brother moved away to his own home!
It was only YEARS LATER that my TV watching had declined! It's now to the point where I could go a whole week without watching TV!
If my oldest brother was still nagging me about "watching too much TV", I still would've done it, just to piss him off!
So yeah, next time you give unsolicited advice to anyone, just back off!
My parents backed off, I came to my own conclusions, and now I'm ready to de-clutter!
