Sunday, February 17, 2019

Marie Kondo and the Discontent


My last post began the autumn of my discontent.

I resolved to get singing lessons or piano lessons and achieve goals and I did none of those things.

I did become mildly depressed, so I can't say I didn't do anything.

January is a funny month.  On the one hand, we feel like it's a time to set intentions and become new people.  On the other hand, it's cold and wet and unpleasant out there and mostly all I want to do is curl up in a blanket, eat and drink warm things, and watch the endless stream of blockbuster entertainment that flows from my smart tv.

I've been starting slowly, but there is a lot of "new" in my life.

I'm in a new band.  I have new furniture which has sparked a Marie Kondo-esque purge of my house.  New goals.  New approaches.  New hopes.

But the general malaise of autumn 2018 is not so far behind me that I don't see myself slipping back into it if I'm not careful.  And my most burning of desires still seem so far away that I'm not sure I'll ever achieve them, which makes the general comfort of stress eating and couch potato-ing that much more appealing.

I get that feeling that I have to do something big.  I have to turn my whole life completely upside down.  After I do that, I'll have a purpose again and feel like things are going the way they should.  It's kind of like rearranging your purse and starting by upending it to dump everything out onto the floor in front of you.  Sure, it's easier to find things when you've gone through it, but there's always the danger that in the upending, one of my most prized lipglosses is going to roll under the couch never to be seen again (this is a metaphor, btw, I'm not really talking about lipgloss here), and it is basically guaranteed that within a month of two my purse is going to become the same old shitshow of crumpled receipts, unwrapped restaurant cheque candies and tangled phone charge cords it always is.

So what I'm saying is: I need to be vigilant.  Or I'll never get my purse clean.

2 comments:

  1. Just stumbled across your blog.
    You're not alone in this seemingly-messy "plight" of sorts.
    I too have that inner worry about the purse-dumping (though I only usually use a tiny zippered pouch...which I can surprisingly fit a lot of shit in)...anywho. 😊
    Maybe instead of trying to empty all the stuff out, add a little something on the inside or out that makes you feel good...so despite of all the things we wished could be different, that we acknowledge the good shit. I find that's what helps me sort through and purge through the rest...slowly and ever-so-stubbornly.
    Derby is that thing I added, that's sometimes frustrating as hell, but oh so gloriously rewarding in it's removal of pent up emotional gunk.
    It's tricky, but don't beat yourself up too much...just know that you're noticed and that you're inspiring (for reals)
    Jennifer/The Hawk

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  2. The Buddha had it right. All IS suffering. Which is to say that there will always be receipts and tangled cords in your purse. Every now and then, you will be inspired to clean up your purse, but, inevitably, it will fill up with junk again. That does not mean you have failed; it's just life.
    Perhaps your misguided mother somehow communicated to you the idea that self-worth is tangled up with inspiring accomplishments and/or clean purses. She is starting to realize that that is not so.

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