The need to purge and start fresh is high right now. The fact that I haven’t already placed all of our stuff out on the front lawn for folks to take is an indication that some combination of medication, exercise, therapy and general contemplation is at work. At first, I feel bad because what I really want to get rid of is the stuff that’s not mine – the boys’ toys and crap. Then I realize as I look around the room, there is little that is mine to give away. We’ve grown so intertwined that I cannot separate what is Sandy’s from what is mine. To some extent that makes it very easy if I walk away. I wouldn’t have much to carry. On the other hand, it means that I cannot do a cathartic cleanse of material items without the risk of pissing off the spouse.
So, I go to the one thing I do collect: puzzles. I thin out a few and put them on the street. Not enough, but it was something.
The need to clean and start afresh is transparently representative. Unfortunately, the things I really want to be rid of are the things that I cannot leave.