Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Cleaning Closets

      In a very weak moment, in fact , the weakest moment in my life, I agreed to help the Micro Manager with some spring cleaning.

    Yesterday we bumbled into cleaning the main bedroom closets. There are two shelves above the rod where  clothes hang. We found stuff to be very dusty so took it all down shook  it outside, dusted the shelf ceiling and wall. As we cleaned things I looked over the contents of some boxes. I found two boxes containing items from my teaching career. There were certificates, programs, superintendent reports and principal reports. There were programs for all award ceremonies that I ever attended. Along with this, were my teaching certificates. There were those fancy certificates you get when you receive a degree. And oh ya...all of my school report cards! My Mom had saved my report cards and gave them to me. Now all of this stuff has to go except the certificates and report cards. I didn't say it's gone. It's back in the closet and who knows when it will actually be laid to rest.

     The Micro Manager started on  the clothes. All articles of clothing had to be taken out to shake off the dust.

    This morning I was assigned  shift on cleaning the clothes in the closet. Now the Micro Manager buys clothes very carefully, wears them carefully and looks after them meticulously. She also does not get  rid of any clothes. You guessed it. This closet is more than full. Now I got to see a great range of styles. But when the pant suit with the bell bottoms came out, I was impressed! You've got to be old to know what pant suits are! So to say the least, there is a huge number of clothes, many of which should have been disposed of long ago.

    We have lived in the same house since 1970. If you move you part with stuff rather than go to the effort of moving it. At this stage of life the Micro Manager is in panic mode as she knows that the big move may not be that far off. 

   If it was me, I would have little more than a suitcase of possessions. I am completely opposite of the Micro Manager.

    So my weak moment has resulted in some interesting discoveries, some shocking realizations  and some reflections on what we've been doing since 1970.