Packus Ratus
As I begin today’s column, my daughter is in full fledged “clear-out” mode. It began last night, after she opened her “store” on Vinted.com.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the website/application, it’s a place where you can purchase and sell gently-used items. You can open a “store” to sell those items which you no longer wish to keep, or you can purchase someone else’s previously worn merchandise. Basically, it’s an online thrift store, which my daughter regularly peruses.
Since yesterday, I began to find several of her discards on my dresser. Some of them are actually quite adorable, and I’m certain that I will wear them — as long as they fit. There’s a rather stark difference between our body shapes, so I’m hoping that they will make it past my hips. About a half hour ago, she deposited a rather large pile onto my bed, in the hopes that I might be able to use them — otherwise, they will all be brought to Savers in Hempstead. Savers donates their proceeds to Big Brothers, Big Sisters; we regularly schedule pick-up service with their charity.
Now that I have become the owner of said pile, it prompted me to do a little clearing out of my own. I haven’t done it in quite some time; several of my dresser drawers are missing handles, for I have added items from her closet over the years, without discarding anything that I haven’t worn in a while.
A recent article in AARP magazine got me thinking, after having seen the condition of my drawers. Do I really want to leave all of my accumulated “stuff” behind when I am gone, so that my daughter has to clear it out? Wouldn’t it be so much easier for me to take care of it now?
I know that this would make my husband deliriously happy. Several times this year, I’ve heard him mutter, “Packus Ratus”, whenever he gets hit on the head with something that has fallen out of the closet. It’s because things aren’t placed back properly in the closet, and not because there is an overabundance of contents within. However, it becomes the impetus to begin our own “clear out” of cabinets, closets, and anything else that might appear to be “overflowing.”
Over the years, we tend to accumulate lots of things — wedding favors, an item purchased at a beloved vacation getaway, treasured handmade gifts that a child made in class, or even clothing. The old saying, “If it hasn’t been worn in a year, get rid of it” might sound wonderful in theory, but in reality, do we ever truly carve out the time to clean out a closet, or toss away those magazines that we have yet to read?
We own a little ranch and many of you can understand how easy it is to grow out of your home rather quickly. Over the years, we’ve donated, tossed out, and held yard sales in order to keep the accumulation at bay. Somehow, it seems to keep piling up — and the spare time that we thought that we had ends up being used to tackle other projects. And suddenly, we have an overwhelmingly large task on our hands that would best be handled by a professional.
According to the magazine article, the writer suggests that one should tackle a small job first, in order to feel less overwhelmed. Once the task is completed, there is a sense of resolve, which serves as a motivation to complete the job.
I’ve just finished clearing out my dresser. I think I can handle clearing out that closet…and perhaps a cabinet or two…and perhaps, the phrase “Packus Ratus” can finally be put to rest.
