Deep cleaning a room or space has never been something I’d lump into the “fun” category.
And this isn’t just coming from a place of “hating” cleaning or doing any physical work – especially since the work is being done indoors with climate controls in place and is entirely self-motivated for personal gain.
I’m looking forward to having more free space after becoming organized and prioritizing things in my life. For me, I find that it’s harder to keep on task and complete the work at hand when it’s physical rather than mental.
A prime example is that I’m able to keep focused on writing nonstop most of Monday in order to meet our early Tuesday morning press deadline.
Even with a few distractions provided by mom, Mike, the pets or the weather – in the case of this week’s edition.
It’s just harder to ignore damp cold seeping into my right ankle joint and reminding me that I’m bionic on that side – and it likes to ache if I’m not being careful and keeping it warm-ish.
Still, outside of those unexpected moments I can manage to stay on task and power through writing because it comes easy to me.
Plus, I have to admit that it does help when I also have my headphones on and music flowing through the background of my thoughts to keep everything semi on track, too.
However, when faced with deep cleaning, I find myself struggling to sort through some items I’ve held on for far too long. Mostly because there are memories attached to almost each and everything that’s made it this far in my life – so sue me for being sentimental!
Some of those things are well over a decade old now, but I’ve held onto them through moving houses, college locally and hours away plus working jobs out of town and so forth.
And I confess, most of it isn’t even really significant things – like, who keeps their first ever paystubs from new jobs or assorted movie ticket receipts even if you didn’t really care for the film, but enjoyed the company that was there with you during it?
Social media is making maintaining those sorts of records easier and I hate to tell my mom this, but it makes it so I don’t ever really want to participate in her grand “scrapbooking party” plan she has for my sister and I one day.
Then again, reaching this point after deep cleaning might just make the task easier to tackle – a chick can dream right?
I so also find myself sometimes hung up on wondering about what could happen if I don’t sort through the sentimental garbage I’ve clutched onto for too long sooner rather than later?
Like, I know my siblings won’t usually see the same worth in items that I do, but, I’d rather have an actual dedicated place for the most important artifacts and heirlooms in my life.
Photographs, invitations and paper things are by far easier to save up in a scrapbook than three dimensional pieces like my grandmother’s wedding rosary.
And, just maybe, some of this has stemmed from watching other folks pick through the remnants of someone’s life at yard, estate and liquidation sales.
It isn’t exactly like watching archaeologists raid lost tombs and dig sites to steal historical treasures, but sometimes it feels eerily similar and disrespectful sometimes.
But, that’s another topic for another time and needless to say, there have been plenty of bags of trash making their way outside for pickup on Wednesday morning regardless.
