the washington post
.
thursday, november
14
,
2019
MD
started. Then you have to keep
going. I’m really interested in the
tricks people come up with. Here
are some of my favorites:
“Every year, we use the period
between Christmas and New
Year’s to attack one room, taking
everything out and throwing
away what we don’t want or need,
says Tom Fulcher, 61, of the Dis-
trict. “The rule is, if you wouldn’t
buy it in a store today, it doesn’t
need to be taking up room in the
house now.”
Sally Spencer, 70, of San Fran-
cisco keeps boxes for donations in
every room.
Shannon Wold, 56, of Scotts-
dale, Ariz., has two rules: Get rid
of a bag of something every time a
donation truck is in the area, and
get rid of two pieces of clothing
for every new one.
Julie Mueller, 63, of Falls
Church tries to toss 10 things each
week.
Betsy Mitchell, 64, from Park-
ton, Md., asks herself five ques-
tions about any possession: Is it
useful? Is it beautiful? Do I have
an attachment to it — and, if so, is
it easy to display or store? Can it
be easily and inexpensively re-
placed if I decide I want it later?
Can someone else make better use
of the item than I do?
Look to family and friends
Several people expressed dis-
comfort with throwing out or do-
nating “special things” but said it
was made easier by knowing
where they were going. Robby
Champion, 75, of Staunton, Va.,
devoted a giveaway space in his
garage and invited friends and
family to take whatever they
could use. “So far it’s working and
it’s fun,” he said.
Linda Low Kalkstein, 70, of La
Jolla, Calif., and her daughter are
enjoying sharing memories while
they repurpose her high school
and college T-shirts into quilts.
David Kravitz, 66, of Fairfax
County said he found it impossi-
ble to throw away or donate shirts
his late mother made for him
during his “hippie years” or the
wide-lapeled suit he wore when
he married his late wife. “I real-
ized I could donate them to a
theater I regularly attend. This
was especially appropriate, be-
cause for many years my mother
helped a hometown theater group
with their props. That connection
helped turn pain to pleasure.”
Carol Henson, 73, and her hus-
band housed their children’s be-
longings through grad school, the
Peace Corps and apartment living
but finally reached their limit.
They rented a truck, packed up
the stuff and drove from their
Greenville, S.C., home to their
children’s new homes, where they
unloaded possessions on each
doorstep. “Our sons and daughter
knew we were driving for a visit,
but their stuff was a total surprise.
BY VICTORIA FOGG
These days, Americans don’t
agree on much, but we know this:
We’ve got too much stuff.
Baby boomers, especially are
feeling as if the possessions we
have bought or been given are
weighing us down. For weeks, I’ve
been talking with boomers about
approaching life after 50 with
curiosity and enthusiasm, as part
of a Washington Post newsletter
series called Bold School. Many of
us are saying it’s time to pare
down and reevaluate our habits.
I could watch Marie Kondo
magically change lives for hours.
Doing it myself, however, is not so
entertaining. It’s hard! How do
you decide what to toss — and
how to toss it — without burden-
ing others?
We asked people who have
been through the process to tell us
their stories. Some just needed a
push to get started. Others fo-
cused on a goal, such as traveling.
Some were methodical, others
ruthless and unsentimental. One
woman said she takes items away
when her husband isn’t home.
“And he doesn’t miss most items.”
For many, getting rid of the
extra stuff is freeing, but not ev-
eryone shares that joy. Read on
for some real-world insight and
inspiration, most of it sent in by
Post readers.
Understand your ‘why’
For some, understanding the
motivation for decluttering can
make the process easier.
Liese Sadler, 59, and her hus-
band wanted to live on a sailboat,
so the Charlotte couple sold most
of their belongings. “Twenty years
later, we are thinking of moving to
Europe, so we will sell what we
can and give away the rest. Hav-
ing something exciting to look
forward to really helps.”
Diana Carew, 73, of Whidbey
Island, Wash., has no storage
“Now, if we receive a gift, it goes in
the donation sack we keep in the
garage. The mental lift in being
clutter-free is indescribably free-
ing — a happy place to be.”
Michele Postal, 69, of Eugene,
Ore., is motivated by the thought
of passing on something mean-
ingful. “It’s easy to [pass down]
the 40-year-old Christmas tree
star when your granddaughter
thinks it’s the most beautiful star
she’s ever seen,” she says.
For Olga Yuri, 62, of the Dis-
trict, decluttering is more about
responsibility. “If something hap-
pens to us, who will have to do all
this?... I must tell you that I
loved it! I found my calling!”
Make a plan and stick to it
Nothing about decluttering is
easy. First you have to actually get
It was well worth it for the space
we gained and the expressions on
their faces.”
But keep what matters
“Stuff links us to the past and
the people we care about,” ex-
plains Mary Reed, 66, of North
Las Vegas. “If you have something
that evokes strong, good emo-
tions, then keep it. If you’ve kept a
room as a shrine to a loved one,
get counseling and let go of the
stuff when you can. My father
died when I was 16, and my moth-
er gave me his favorite rocking
chair. It was the last place I saw
my dad alive and I hung on to that
chair for decades until I gave the
chair to my son. My dad lives on in
my heart.”
Where to donate
If you’re feeling inspired, The
Post has covered organizations
that will accept donations, but
readers also had some favorites.
Judith Dollenmayer, 77, of the
District recommends ReStore,
the Habitat for Humanity store
that accepts used household
goods (no mattresses or sheets)
and furniture and will even repair
some items before sale. Other
suggestions included churches
that help resettle refu gee fami-
lies, consignment shops for crys-
tal and silver, library sales that
will take books and CDs, plus yard
sales, shelters and thrift shops.
If you’re looking to make a little
money, others recommend turn-
ing to Maxsold, Facebook Market-
place, Craigslist, eBay and Chair-
ish.
Before you donate...
Karla Forsythe, 69, of Portland,
Ore., who volunteers at a nonprof-
it organization that provides low-
income families with gently used
furniture and household goods,
says: “Please do not donate grun-
gy and broken items. A cloth nap-
kin with stains, or a measuring
spoon set with spoons missing, or
faded socks, or a Keurig missing
some parts are going to the land-
fill.” Instead, what is needed are
working appliances, towels in
good shape, clean mattresses, so-
fas, dressers, dish sets that can be
put in a dishwasher or micro-
wave, spatulas, and sheet sets
(especially queen).
“And please stop buying so
much that is just decorative or
cheap,” she says. “Visit an estate
sale or Goodwill to buy things you
need. We have a recycling crisis.
Learn how to recycle correctly
and put the rest in the garbage.”
[email protected]
Bold School newsletter Go to
wapo.st/boldschoolseries to subscribe
to our email newsletter, delivered
every Monday for 12 weeks.
You probably have too much stuff. Here’s how to pare it down.
LINDA LOW KALKSTEINLinda Low Kalkstein and her daughter are bonding while repurposing her old T-shirts into a quilt.
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