No one has ever used the words joy or spark to describe me and I haven’t read Marie Kondo’s book or seen her TV show. Yet, in the past year I’ve shed more than half my belongings and drastically changed my relationship to what remains. I moved last May and have been forced to stay inside with my possessions as sole company like most people, but there’s more to it than that. Reconsidering and reorganizing the objects I’m surrounded by turned out to be a valuable exercise for both my physical and mental health.
Moving into my new place in May sparked another reassessment. As I unpacked each box I once again pondered whether I really needed to keep this record or that book. I made two new piles: one to sell, the other to give away. eBay, Etsy, Discogs, and a million and one other sites make it easy to sell just about anything. I got rid of headphones, LPs, CDs, and a digital camera. But the other pile was far more rewarding. Unable to see friends and family in person I mailed them books, records, and art that I thought they might appreciate. It was a simple way to let them know they were on my mind and eased the task of setting up my new living arrangements—a true win-win.
