Ruth Marcus

It's spring. Time to lighten up and let go. Time to clear a path and remove the clutter. Get rid of the crapola.

For those with impeccable drawers, closets, garages and storage units, you get a gold star. Your clutter is "organized." Or at least, not half as bad as your neighbors, right?

Discussing stuff - the stuff that ends up stacked up or stuffed away out of sight - makes most of us feel uneasy.

You may hear reasonably intelligent adults attempt to laugh it off, saying, "You think you've got it bad? I can barely get into my garage, the path is so narrow."

Someone responds, "You haven't seen anything. My barn is stacked up 20 feet high, plus we just rented a storage unit." And it's all true.



Stack or stash

You stack it up or stash it away - the fancy platter, the duck-hunting vest and your mother's lace doilies - all packed away for the day you intend to use it. The day never comes.

Most of us have a stash and a bit of clutter somewhere. I confess to a cluttered desk. I justify it as part of my creative process. Chaos is the precursor of creation, yes? This column wouldn't exist if it weren't for my cluttered desk.

Stacks steadily grow taller until they block my garden view - that's when the reference books, borrowed books and books that I love like good friends are cleared off. Then the same process begins all over again.



Anywhere horizontal

It's easy to convert your dining room table and kitchen counters into drop-offs for those bills, coupons, magazines, junk mail, unfolded laundry and fat squares of quilting fabric. Who mourns the table's original function - a place to sit with family and friends and enjoy a meal?

Where does all the stuff come from? The U.S. mail delivers lots, but some still seek it out, scanning Thursday night's paper, planning a garage sale route for Friday morning.

You're the bartering aficionados ready to pounce on possessions that can be bought for pennies. Arms and baskets full, you bring it home, stack it up and rarely consider what convinced you to buy the stuff.



Too good to toss

And the secondhand, consignment store junkies? You know who you are. You peruse the shops seeking a bargain. So what if you already have three cast iron frying pans? This one is a far better deal.

Trinkets, antiques, art supplies, building scraps - I'll use it. I'll build something. I'll sell it for a huge profit.

I know there is something I can do with this stuff. It's too good to throw away. Countless excuses justify the continued hunt.

From garage sales and secondhand stores, to the Cultural Clutter Collecting Churches like e-Bay, home shopping networks and outlet malls, we play let's-make-a-deal 24/7. There's no end in sight, even when the cupboards are stuffed to the max.



Box those yogurt cups

Those yogurt containers, rubber bands and cardboard boxes mysteriously piled up? Good grief! Get rid of them.

Technology encourages the high-tech pack rats - those sniffing out goodies online - music, television programs, movies and comic books.

You collect gigabytes of data, downloading e-books, e-pamphlets and e-magazines. All that digital data gets stashed on CDs, DVDs, MP3s, iPods - you name it. And the piles get deeper.

If my words have weighted you down, I hope you are inspired to clear a path in your life.



One drawer at a time. One closet.

Make three piles: keep, toss or donate - expedite the process. Then gradually work your way to the garage.

If you need help, invite a few friends. And, if it's already beyond your ability to cope, phone a professional organizer, start your own support group, take a class on how to organize your life or visit a therapist. Last resort? Rent a dumpster and fill it up. Or, move.

May your path be cleared and your clutter be gone.

Oh yes, remember to clean the windows so you can see your way to the garden. Enjoy this beautiful spring.



Ruth Marcus has a private counseling practice in Sequim. See www.DrRuth Marcus.com for more information. E-mail comments to Rmarcus@olypen.com.