Mins Game Revisited

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It is now 3 years since I played the Mins Game, ridding myself of 496 items of extraneous stuff.  Across at The Minimalists they are urging everyone to play again this month (only 30 days and 465 items this time). 

What is it about stuff ? I'm convinced mine indulges in asexual reproduction. It doesn't matter how much I trash or donate to charity there always seems to be more oozing from the corner of every room I enter. You would think after all this time, I'd feel on top of the task in hand but somedays I actually wonder if, in order to succeed, relocating and downsizing is going to be the only the way. 

Now the truth is I don't like stuff and am not particularly driven by material possessions. Consequently, I don't tend to make a habit of  unneccessary or impulsive shopping. Thinking about it though, I wonder if that isn't the root cause of the problem. Instead of embracing the throwaway society, Mister E and I are inclined to hoard items that might come in useful one day or to which we have a sentimental attachment because we have held onto them for so long; a fatal flaw when you have been around for as many years as us; all that useful junk increases in line with the wrinkles.

Perhaps I'm being hard on myself. We have made progress  with our plans to declutter and redecorate our home; we just have to accept it's a longterm plan not an instant make-over. Anyway I took advantage of today's rainfall to give a cupboard an annual overhaul and in so doing and, only after a discussion with Mister E as to whether or not we could make use of anything in any other way, jettisoned: a 9 year old pair of paint splattered jogging bottoms (they went into our rag box); a roll of wrapping paper that sheds a glitter-like substance over everything when you try to use it; a Happy Retirement banner with my face adorned upon it, albeit after detailed consideration as to whether it could be used as a cover for one of the newly constructed vegetable beds or as a dodger on the boat. Yes, I know, we really can make hardwork of this tidying up phenomenon.


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