I’m a neat freak. I like things orderly. And if you’ve been reading this blog (or know me personally), you’ll know that I like Excel Spreadsheets (Post: Don’t Calculate without God).
So how is it that someone like me could have SO MUCH TRASH in my condo? That’s one of the benefits to dating someone who is also a neat freak. They not only spot the trash in your life a mile away, they actually do something about it.
Over the course of the past few months, the geeky side of me has been able to blossom, and I feel a bit like Will Ferrell on Old School:
Will Ferrell’s character: I got a big day tomorrow. You guys have a great time.
College Student: A big day? Doing what?
Will Ferrell’s character: Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we’re going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don’t know, I don’t know if we’ll have enough time.
You see, I identify with those remarks. But the thing is, I actually ENJOY it. The Benz and I actually enjoy staying in on a Friday night to paint my hallway doors, or put up some frames or ceiling lamps from IKEA.
We even made an event out of it. Did you know that IKEA has food? And it’s good too! AND it’s cheap! This weekend, they had a special on their meatball dinner. It included about a dozen meatballs, lumpy mashed potatoes, and some cranberry sauce for $.99! Yes folks, for less than a dollar, you could eat well! And they make it so fun! You can cart around your food on a cool shopping cart.
But I digress. The point is, there aren’t many couples that could say they enjoy cleaning as a “date night”.
But it hasn’t been all fun and games. We’ve revisited the kitchen about 5 different times now. Cabinet by cabinet, we’ve emptied it out, trashed tons of items, Lysol’d, and reorganized every single item in my kitchen. Well, to be more accurate, she’s done most of that for me. I’ve been playing a management role and watching her do it, nodding my head up and down (or side to side) giving her endless excuses for why I need a plate from when I was a child, or flower styrofoam plates from 1996, or receipts of groceries from 5 years ago. You see, I am a pack rat (or so she claims). She clearly doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
And believe it or not, it’s a painful process. It’s hard to let things go. We’ve gotten into fights over it because I get too sensitive about feeling attacked for my possessions and lifestyle.
You wouldn’t believe the amount of trash that’s come out of that house. (And it’s still happening). We’ve taken out about 15-20 large trash bags of ‘stuff’ to take to the dumpster – I kid you NOT. And that’s just the kitchen cabinets. One room at a time, we’re doing a CLEAN SWEEP (one of my favorite HGTV Do-It-Yourself shows) of my entire place.
But what I would like to know is, how does a clean, neat freak, Excel spreadsheet kind of guy accrue so much junk in one place in such a short lifetime?
It’s made me think about our lives, and how we carry so much trash along the way. We don’t even realize how dusty and cramped our lives have become with excess junk. They often hide in cabinets and closets in the form of friends that we can’t let go of or habits like watching certain TV shows or movies. Sometimes they are more elusive, like holding on to attitudes of ‘complaint’, ‘gossip’, or ‘bitterness’ towards people in general. The point is, if you don’t take the time to examine your house, you won’t even realize all the junk that is being stored up.
And you wonder why you don’t have room. You’re missing out on all the good stuff you could replace the junk with.
Having the Benz in my life has been a blessing. Sometimes it takes someone else to see your house from a fresh perspective in order for you to look at places and things that you would otherwise overlook or avoid. Who’s in your life that can help you get rid of so much trash?
The Calm Before the Storm 