I have never been one to get hyper organized; however, as time passes things just tend to pile up and the only way to clear my mind and space is to begin cleaning out.
This especially gets fierce when I am under stress. When we were all prepping for the last large hurricane a friend called to ask if I was out stocking up my pantry, and I explained that I was cleaning out my kitchen drawers. I knew this made no sense, but it gave me some feeling of being in control as a Category 5 hurricane was barreling our way.
I have read many articles about feng shui. This is a Chinese system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy and whose favorable effects are considered. I realize this sounds technical, but most articles just turn out to be offering ways to have a smoother flow of traffic and easier access to belongings. I don't know if the Chinese are on to something, but sometimes moving a couple of pieces of furniture around in my bedroom can make the space feel better.
This spring when my life became extremely intense and cluttered, I had to strip out my entire office. I took down everything off the walls and packed up everything in boxes. I bought bright yellow paint and painted over the dark blue walls. I completely redesigned the furniture by removing two large oak pieces and brought back just a few pieces of my writing and the boys' artwork. And then after four long weeks of staring at the four walls every time I sat down to write, I actually completed an entire column.
I can usually tell when it is time for me to take an entire afternoon to dedicate to my walk-in closet doing this. For a matter of weeks, I will walk into the small space and see dresses, pants, shirts, shoes, and purses and walk out feeling like I do not have a single thing to wear. I feel like I am wearing the same five pieces of clothing each week. Four hours later, with music blaring and my organizational skills being challenged, what must go is loaded in the back of my car and what has been newly rediscovered is at my fingertips.
It is somewhat embarrassing to confess these issues and yet I must believe this is a common occurrence in the households of America. Life gets busy. We catch sales. We shove things in drawers, and stack things on shelves. I once had a friend who told me her house would be spotless if all her countertops were slanted.
And I also notice that it is during the summer or spring cleaning during my week off that I really feel the energy and motivation to tackle this problem. Otherwise, it is running from alarm to evening news and trying to catch some sleep in between. It is digging for the meat hammer to tenderize my chicken breasts that has been moved into the drawer with my serving spoons. It is digging for that light jacket that was shoved behind the heavy coats or staring at a blank computer screen in hopes of forming some thoughts to put in print. I don't know if it is feng shui or just a need to de-clutter and re-charge.
Whatever it is there is a place for everything and everything has a place. And in a matter of months there will need to be a new place for things so everything can have a place.
