Making Space

We’ve lived in the same house for 37 years. Absent the forced discipline of frequent moves, one accumulates a lot of stuff in that period of time.

Every once in a while, I go around the house with the intention of getting rid of stuff. Generally, I’m not very successful. The problem is it’s all good stuff. Take, for instance, the 8mm video camera we bought to record our oldest son’s 1st day of kindergarten (36 years ago). It still works! No one uses video cameras anymore. Goodwill won’t even take it. What am I supposed to do, throw it in the trash?

Outside of an occasional funeral or wedding, I no longer wear dress socks. Yet, I have a whole drawer full. I can’t bring myself to get rid of them.

We have a two-car garage, which is a misnomer.

It’s hard to get rid of stuff!

Have you ever browsed through any of those fancy home design magazines? For some unknown reason we get one every month in the mail. Paging through the beautiful homes, I wonder, “Who lives in these places? Where’s all their stuff?”

I finally decided we need more space in our lives!

I’ve started going through my clothes closet and donating anything not worn in the previous 12 months. That worked, and it felt good, so I set my sights on the garage. After six trips to Goodwill and filling half a construction dumpster, I moved our second car into the garage for the first time in twenty years. It was cathartic! Here’s a harder one. I have two bookcases in my office. They’re full, which means there’s always a pile of books on the floor. Last year, I donated them. My new rule is any books I buy must replace the ones I have, or they too are donated.

Maybe I’m ready to tackle my sock drawer!

It feels good to declutter our living space, but it doesn’t stop there! Our minds are going a hundred miles per hour. We’re too busy, always rushing around here and there. There never seems to be enough hours in the day. I thought retirement would be different, but I’m busier than ever.

The only solution I’ve found to declutter my life is to program space into my day.

Creating mental space is therapeutic, like cleaning out the garage. I use my writing practice for that. Each morning I set aside time to work on a blog post. Writing acts as a barometer that measures how well I’m doing creating space. Whenever I struggle to come up with subject material, it’s a sure sign I’m not making space for reflection.

Making space isn’t hard, once it’s a priority. I’ve started slowing down by intention as well as design. The other day I was sitting in the yard at the cabin watching birds. That one scared me a little!

A few months back, my buddy Robert sent me an email regarding this blog. “Tim, half the time, I can’t figure out your posts,” he wrote. “Are they meant to be something for me, or are they just something you’re trying to work out for yourself?”

Sheepishly, I replied, “Yes.”

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