When Joe and I got back from our vacation this past April, our older-than-dirt television died a few days later. I was so geeked to finally be rid of that huge old tube television that I didn’t even care what it would cost to replace it (truth-time, my hubby tried to “fix” it, so I smashed the circuits with a hammer, just to be sure it was good and dead).
Well, that was three months ago and that beast is STILL in our home; Rather, on the curb as of yesterday (My cute, muscular lawn boy carried it for me). The thing was just too damn heavy for Joe and I to carry up the stairs by ourselves, so it sat on the floor just awaiting muscles to hall it out! I do not have a garage or storage room to put the sucker, so it had to stay right there in the middle of my livingroom…I walked past it everyday at least a dozen times and stubbed my toe on it almost daily! This huge tv took up a lot of space. It sat there for a week before I screamed about it. It sat there a month before I cried over it. By the end of the second month, I started dusting it like it was a regular piece of furniture.
A funny thing started to happen, I stopped noticing it. I have no idea when this started to happen, it just did. Soon we were even having guests over who could have easily helped us move it, but we just forgot to even ask. The huge broken TV just became invisible. I mean occasionally I’d walk by and think, “I gotta do something with this”…or “I can’t believe that is still here”…but for the most part, I forgot it was even there.
I know you are saying, how to you stop noticing the huge black 3X2 feet piece of garbage in your livingroom? But I did. I think it is probably the same way people with clutter everywhere just kinda stop seeing that too. Soon those piles of clutter become just part of the house and before you know it, they don’t even really bother you anymore. I mean sure, sometimes you may want to light a match, but for the most part, clutter can just be invisible. To the homeowner that is… guests – of course – see all your crap!
Perhaps, what some of us really need, is an outside opinion on the clutter in our homes. Not necessarily a professional organizer, just perhaps a friend or family member you love and trust. Invite someone over and ask them to tell you what looks cluttered and messy. Trust me, they will be flattered that you asked for their help and input and you just may be surprised at how much invisible clutter you really have! Don’t think that you only have to ask people who have super organized homes either, your messy friend Tara may not be able to see her own mess, but she can for sure see yours!
I guess my point is that we all need a loving, unbiased and constructive criticism sometimes – like when my husband politely tells me that no one wants to hear about organizing every minute of everyday – it just may be great advice.
