When less isn’t more
Cindy on August 1st, 2008
“You and I live in a world with a low tolerance for mystery, confusion, and ambiguity. We like things simple, explained, straightforward. Yet in our hearts, we also know that life is anything but simple — and the world is more mysterious than we like to admit.” — William Willimon
Will purging our closets and junk drawers really result in mental clarity and increased self-esteem? Do the demons of our past belong in a garage sale? I’m not so sure. My new essay, “Why Simple Living Isn’t So Easy,” appears in the August issue of Strut for Women magazine, now on the stands throughout metro Detroit and Ann Arbor. If you can’t locate the print edition, you can read the essay online. – CL
(Garden photo by Cindy La Ferle)
August 1st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I found the article by following the link you gave. Well said, Cindy. When I watch a show or read a magazine about how to organize a room or a house, I wonder where those people “live.” I question what the place looks like once the cameras leave. I agree that the most important thing we can unload is the guilt about not living up to an imaginary standard.
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:12 am
Thanks, Sharon! I’m glad you found the piece on the Strut site!
August 4th, 2008 at 8:08 am
OK, here’s a bit of irony: my current post at wisewomencoffeechat.com goes on and on about my delight in purging my bathroom drawers over the weekend. Talk about bursting my bubble …
Actually, I think the points in your essay are well-taken. Simplicity simply for simplicity’s sake can be an empty goal. But, I do think there are times when clutter (not treasured collections) can be distracting and that when the distracting clutter is gone, life IS sweeter because it’s simpler.
In any case, I will savor the few extra minutes I will now have each day b/c I’m not frantically searching through my bathroom drawers during my morning and evening routines.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Elaine, Great points and congrats on your cleaner drawers! Obviously, a lot of I wrote in that essay was in the spirit of humor — although I do think some women’s magazines impose incredibly unfair standards on us … that said, I agree that being organized can be a sanity saver and time saver! Moderation applies here too.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:51 am
My mother lives in a house that has through the years been gradually denuded of almost every trinket and keepsake. It’s too sterile for me. And yet she recently confessed that she wants to “call someone to take it all away.” The only things she has left are two family photo albums, a small curio full of her mother’s treasures, and a clear glass pitcher collection on top of her kitchen cabinets. I said “well, when you call someone, make sure it’s ME.” Balance is key, not to go too far one way or the other!