For nearly a dozen years, Marie Kondo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Kondo has espoused at-home minimalism. Her brand is hyper-organization, though she’s recently admitted publicly that she’s found her plan unsustainable after the birth of her third child. Several friends have adopted the KonMari de-clutter plan, achieving satisfying results. Here’s how the plan works:
She directs you to take all your clothing and put them in a big pile. You then select an item and ask yourself a simple question: Does this bring me joy? Each of my friends who’ve tried the technique claim that – with only brief hesitation, due to buyer’s remorse – they easily decided each item’s fate and tossed the joyless stuff.
Buyer’s remorse. You know that spate of guilt, don’t you… “What was I thinking when I purchased this?” It was likely on sale, but I’ve nothing to wear with it. It clashes, it’s gaudy, it’s too small for my girth! I’ve no place to wear it – I’m neither a movie star nor Marie Kondo! It needs to go, go, go!
When in doubt, toss it out: donate, recycle, or give it away.
In reality, the KonMari method emphasizes a disposal culture. Whatever happened to sewing on buttons to replace one lost or replacing the soles of much-valued shoes? The reason we have so much stuff is that we buy so much stuff, peeps, not because we don’t throw stuff away. Mindful consumption. Less buyer’s remorse would be the result because there’d be less buying. After all, fewer things you love are better than many things you kinda love.
One main squeeze is better than many, as we all learned during our dating days.
As you may recall, I’ve just returned from two weeks of vacation. While I relished the trip, I was mildly relieved at the end, eager to be home. In part, because my husband and I agree that we’d packed “one shirt short.” My full array of clothes welcomed me home and I eagerly wore stuff I hadn’t selected for the trip.
My closet – as well as the rest of my home – is stuffed.
After all, the packing process resembled Kondo’s method, though my question was “Will this item wear well in the tropics and coordinate with other clothes so that I can pack less stuff?”
The rest of my home is artfully cluttered and I like it that way. Each item had a purpose, often a story – or is a treasured travel souvenir. Our space showcases antiques, momentos, and oh, the photos! I feel comfortable. Best of all, my main squeeze resides with me in our spacious and cluttered place.
My home sparks joy. It’s my sanctuary, my memory-filled nest.
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