It's startling to recall that when I lived in bedsits from 1973 to 1981 I had virtually no possessions. I simply had no room for unnecessary stuff.
Now I have many times the number of possessions I had then. So if I could survive okay in my bedsits how come I need so many belongings now?
We have many things that are purely decorative, like ornaments and paintings. We have around 1000 books. We have six tables, twelve chairs and a sofa. We have a piano. We have several CD players.
In my bedsits I had a bed and a chair and that was it. Compared with that spartan arrangement, our present set-up seems totally excessive, even though 90 per cent of our possessions are regularly used (apart from all the books sitting on shelves gathering dust).
When I lived in my bedsits, I never felt deprived of anything, I was perfectly happy with my small space and my one or two bits and pieces. Now of course it seems like an extraordinary hardship I must have reluctantly endured.
No, we don't have any clutter, just what you might call household items.
Same for me when I lived in a camper van. Not much of anything but everything I needed.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda: I don't think I could live in a camper van for long. Too little space for my liking.
DeleteBut, you have the whole world right outside your door with new views every time you move the van so there's always something new to explore.
DeleteLinda
Linda: That's very true. But I still wouldn't like to live in such a small space.
DeleteI think when we don't have a lot of room we make do with what we have. Like right now I live in a one bedroom 650 square foot apartment. It doesn't have a whole lot of cabinet space so I don't keep a whole lot of things and I end up decluttering quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteMary: Yes, I can imagine you must strictly limit what you bring into your apartment. Hoarding is out of the question!
Deleteoh nick.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten rid of so many books over the years.
Things that looked interesting but i never got around to reading etc. I ended up moving them from house to house.
Now, I prefer to buy books on google books and read them on my pad. Better investment.
Liam: A lot of our books are in the "have read but might read again" category. But of course most of them just sit there gathering dust. And I don't have an ipad!
DeleteI have a ridiculous number of books, I can't bear to throw away books I've enjoyed, even if I never re-read them.
ReplyDeleteValerie
Valerie: I'm like that as well. I'm quite convinced I'll re-read them some day, even if they've been sitting on the shelves for years (or decades).
DeleteWho plays the piano?
ReplyDeleteClutter is a state of mind. I like having “things” around me, especially mementos that remind me of special events or people I have known. Books, of course, are holy icons!
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of books, Nick, but I should not talk as I have more cookbooks than we need or even look out. As far as clutter, we try to get rid of at least one or two things whenever there’s a replacement, not always successful in that goal😕
ReplyDelete