Why'd I keep that?

It's a question I've been asking myself for over two weeks now, as I've spent the greater part of my spare time cleaning up the remains of the past 12 years of my life.

And each time, I'm not quite sure what the answer is.

All I know is that at the time I put the items away, it felt as though I'd always look at them as fondly. I imagined that every time I pulled out the Shakespeare paper I scored a measly C+ on, I'd look at it and say "Awesome!"

That's not quite the case.

In fact, I'm pretty irritated with the teenage version of myself, and in parts, am also furious with the twenty-something me as well.

What was I thinking holding on to every bank statement, paper, receipt, magazine, critique, clipping, cover, CD, nick-knack, stuffed animal and lanyard from years gone by?

My room is a landfill of crap! Few items of substance and a majority of dust-gathering nothingness.

The fact that I haven't searched for or even looked at any of these items for so many years should have been a warning sign.

Sigh!

Regardless, after a couple week of intense labour courtesy of my former self, I can finally see empty shelves and clean table-spaces in my room.

So far:
3 bags of clothes and accessories have gone to Goodwill
5 garbage bags of paper and old school assignments have headed to the recycling receptacles
3 boxes of books have been packed away
Approx. 20 (yes 20) pieces of makeup, hair product and expired moisture have gone out the door

And although I'm not quite done, I am starting to feel more relieved. When I first started, I went into panic at the fact that this would be such a daunting task.

There's really something liberating about cleaning away items that are reflective of yourself. You start to realize that, at the end of the day, they're just things and aren't of much substance. What matters is how and if those items added to or helped develop the person you are at the moment.

Then, you realize it's time to leave the past behind, live in the present and look forward to the future.

I'm feeling good today!

Incidentally, I also feared turning into Marjory the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock.
It works on so many levels.

xo
SC

Photo courtesy of EnvironmentalGraffiti