Throwing things away

used to be so... wasteful. Ignorant. Wrong. I think maybe I was wrong. But let me get there...

The big move-out was quite an Experience. As I'm sure you've read on other blogs, we voluntarily moved 6 people during the staggering heat of the hottest month in Texas, got trapped INSIDE a locked-gated storage facility, and in the end, had to pay people through the nose to clean our house because apparently, they have to clean all the blinds BY HAND. (Nathan and I have been curious about those modern, blind-cleaning robots.)

Through all those fun times, I came back to the simple, profound truth: No matter how bad it might be for the environment and the ever-growing landfills, it feels good to throw things away.

I know what that sounds like. Admit it. You gasped in shock. But I'm serious. Normally, you would package up all those perfectly good but unwanted items and drop them off dutifully at your local Goodwill. So would I. And I normally do. Believe me, I worked at Goodwill for two years in college. But not during a move. Oh no.

You're spent financially, emotionally and physically, and the last thing you want to think about is where in the world you'll store that super-cute votive candle holder you got four years ago on clearance. In the trash. But that's not all.

I threw away: outdated magazines, past-their-prime flip-flops, half-used toiletries, perfectly good bubble wrap. (Before you object: we have in our possession a trash bag full of bubble wrap, so there.) I think at one point in my trash frenzy I threw away actual trash bags inside a trash bag. I threw away my old areobic step that I saved up for and bought with my own money in 7th grade, because let's face it, I think I've used it once in the last two years, and what would be the point of my gym membership where they have real-life step classes you can take where they provide you with a step, and it doesn't have to take up space under your bed? I think I even threw away a few mismatched, unclaimed dishes. Dishes. I was NOT raised this way. In the Prien family, you put away things that might be valuable or useful to you one day, even if they don't seem useful at the moment.

My mother would kill me. I'm sure environmentalists worldwide would protest. And many of my own dear friends are frowning upon this. But you know what? I don't go home to those people. I go home to Nathan, and I have to do what is best for us. And our new, clean, small apartment.

I just didn't expect it to feel so good.