Originally the storage was rented because there was no place at the house for storing holiday decoration, out-of-season clothing and the other seasonal items because we did not have a garage. The rental was supposed to be a "temporary" solution until a 10 X 10 storage shed could be built in the backyard. In the beginning, the locker only had about a dozen boxes against one wall. You could get to what you wanted easily and without having to move more than two boxes. However, over time that thing has filled up horribly. The sad thing is that probably 80% of these additional items come from my daughter's room. Stuff that was cleared out over the last decade when she would misbehave and other than the TV, stereo and a couple of other items she never asked for anything else out of the storage, and in the end her room became outfit with items suited to her current interests, albeit fewer items.
I tell you all of this for a couple of different reasons. First, while moving in December we had a discussion that we were going to clean out the storage and get rid of all the stuff as soon as the weather permitted. At first, my daughter insisted upon going through the stuff. My husband told her that we didn’t have time for that; we just needed to get it done. She stormed off and we didn’t discuss it any further for a day or so. When it came up again a couple of days later, she looked at me and said “If I haven’t missed it by now, I’m not going to, just get rid of it.” I immediately asked her if she was sure she didn’t want to go through it “just in case?” But her response was a firm “no. ” It was then that I realized that while she may be a little bit of a packrat, I was her enabler. Not only that but I was sending out a mixed message. Here I was expounding on the benefits of living with less and wanting to serious downsize the material items in our household, and here I was trying to tempt her into going through the stuff in storage to see if she wanted any of it. It also forced me to admit that this is tendency to keep things just because of emotional attachment is something of a family legacy, a horrible habit inherited from my mother, and something like all other bad habits that needed to stop. My memories of deceased grandparents are not dependent upon the chotzkies in the storage locker. The second reason I’m telling you this is because in a way now, I’m committed, everyone knows and I can’t imagine having to face people and admit that I’m still paying on a storage unit that is filled with junk.
So here is my plan, every Saturday I’m going to load up my car with as much stuff as I can and donate what is usable and throw the rest away. There, now I’m committed.
