Counter Culture Ramblings - Dust Shmust

There is some amount of ranting involved in this post.  Consider yourself warned.
Downsizing, minimalism, and de-cluttering:  there has been such an emphasis on living simply but what if I don't want to live simply?
There is no doubt that our little family is counter culture in lots of ways (walking to school, hanging out laundry, making items from scratch, growing and canning food, etc.) so why should I feel pressure to conform to the ever growing de-cluttering scene? 
I am all for reducing, reusing, and recycling.  That is, after all, our Moppins family mantra.  Not because it is green or trendy but because it's just plain being a good steward.  Besides, the 3 Rs are very practical and the basis of being frugal. 
With that being said, is there anything wrong with a big house or lots of stuff?  I like my stuff dad gummit and I would like a bigger house, does that make me a bad person? 
Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the appeal of a minimalist home.
Sure it would be fabulous to be able to wipe down all surfaces in the house in all of 5 minutes.  But then again, my time dusting is time spent singing, or dancing, or praying.
Sweeping would take less time if I didn't have to move hat boxes out of the way.  Although, stacked on top of one another, they make a perfectly practical solution as a nightstand.
Does that mean my family is less blessed if there are more trinkets to dust?  Is our marriage less stable because there are mountains of more than a few hat boxes in our bedroom?  Is our daughter missing out on life because there are books all over the house?
Okay, before anyone calls TLC and turns me in to "Hoarders" let's just take a moment.  I realize if we are having to walk a narrow path between mountains of trash through my rooms then the answer to those questions is a resounding yes.  However, in our case, the tchotchkies on the shelf are from our travels and remind us of the places we've been.  Many of the hats are from an elderly woman at church to whom it brings great pleasure to see someone wearing them (they belonged to her and her mother-in-law.)  As for the books, there is no greater joy in life to Diva than to pick up a book and read.  Excuses?  Maybe, but I am sticking to them.
And anyway, SuperMom says that I am doing my part as a good mother to boost Diva's immune system by having some dust around.

Comments

  1. De-cluttering is as much a personal choice as home-schooling or feminine products. You do what's best for you and yours and who cares if somebody else thinks that you're crazy for not doing it "their" way.

    I went on a couple of decluttering rampages because we were seriously downsizing (by half at least) and then a year later, moving 650 miles not knowing what kind of house we would have in terms of storage. I grew to like not having a lot of trinkets around. Now, I have trinkets and bobbles and what-nots galore and they drive me crazy. It does make a house feel more "homey" but it still gets on my nerves. But that's me.

    If hat boxes make you happy, then go for it.

    And just so ya know...I've only ever heard ONE other person use the word tchotchkies. My mother...bless her heart! LOL

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  2. Thanks for the encouraging words Ms. Becky. We have major clean outs twice a year but the tchotchkies end up staying year after year. The thing is that our formal spaces are just that, very formal and really kind of feminine. We have a friend that calls it our museum. Whereas our den - where we live most of the time - gets the brunt of the "clutter." It's like you said, it gives our house a homey feel. By the way, your Momma knew a good word when she heard one, people don't say tchotchkies enough. :)

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