Clutter

If you watch enough Clean House, which I do, you'll soon learn that a cluttered house is a sign of a cluttered mind.

What I want to know is if a cluttered mind is bad, because if you could see my office, you'd be scared at what might be going on in my head.

The rest of the house seems to be okay. Sure, the kitchen tends to breed paperwork (where does it all come from?), and my nightstand collects the usual odds and ends (books, dryer sheets, drill bits, etc.), but my office...

My office is clearly home for all the things in the house that don't have a place to call their own. And it's also home to all the detriment that goes along with a household project (currently there are 5 cans of paint in there, numerous paint brushes, mineral spirits, a hammer, sandpaper, two sawhorses...). It also holds all my books, spilling out from the shelves, artwork, four plants, a basket full of things I really should put in a scrapbook, scrapbook supplies (which haven't been touched recently), a suitcase, a box for an air mattress, my desk (don't even ask about its state), files, folders, bits and scraps, pictures, notebooks, newspapers, magazines, a box full of old trains... Clutter.

Part of me wants to go through the place and wipe it out, just start tossing. Clear the room, clear my mind. But another, stronger part of me, wants to keep every little piece (well, maybe not all the painting stuff). It's part of history, my history.

I need to find some middle ground. Objects are objects and memories are in my head. But I'm worried that since it's so cluttered up there, I need the objects as reminders! A Catch-22, no doubt.

I should probably watch more Clean House to get some tips as I hope by this time next week, my office will be clean... Just how clean remains to be seen!