Spring has officially kicked in here in Chicago. Even though the season technically started a few weeks ago on March 20th, I for one don't consider it official until I notice a consistent difference for at least a few days.
Anyways, it's that time where everyone's is motivated to start organizing and decluttering. Ahh, Spring cleaning. Some people love it and find it so satisfying. Others hate it. I'm somewhere in between, but this year I'm determined to make it worthy.
I'm in a course right now called "race, class and the working poor" and we discuss a lot about consumption and American consumer culture. My professor said something that really stuck with me the other day: "When I have something sitting around my house, especially in my closet, that I don't use...it's like theft." It got me thinking.
No matter how much I feel like I'm struggling, there's someone out there who is struggling way more. I have certain items sitting in my closet that have sat for close to two years that i haven't touched and that don't hold sentimental value. They're just things I've held onto because I think "Well I'm not wearing it now, but I might wear it if I go to x, y or z place."
I've gotten better with this with time and I've accepted that I'm never going to pick up certain things again, and I really just keep them to fulfill a weird sense of comfort that comes along with American consumerism.
This season, take a long hard look at your clutter. If you look at it, and to you, it's just clutter, and you've come to the conclusion that you haven't used it in x amount of months, or in my case, years, donate it.
Your clutter is someone else's treasure.
Will you ever really use it again? And if you will use it again and you haven't picked it up in close to a year, how valuable really is it to you?
I'm not saying to go give away hand me downs, or keepsake items that were given to you. You all know what I'm talking about. We all have these items we just keep "just in case," but those just in case moments never come.
Let a good cause be your guide this spring. Your decluttering could fulfill someone's need.
Check your local charity organizations, but make sure you do a quick web search before choosing one, because there are some who take advantage, and are only in operation to keep adding funds into their CEO's pockets. Stay as local as you can if possible. Join community FaceBook groups of low-income areas near you. There are so many low wage working class people who are stuck in the cycle of poverty and would appreciate any alleviation of spending.
So this year, don't just see it as spring cleaning, but think about how your clutter could benefit others.
