Improving your life with creative storage solutions
by Roger Faris
My family has too many things. When we get tired of stepping over the stuff it goes in boxes to be piled ever higher and deeper in our closets, basement and garage. We promise ourselves that we will eventually sort out the unneeded items and give them away.
The problem is that these boxes contain countless things that could be useful someday. That's why I have a Solex engine. You never know when you'll come across a French moped that is missing the engine. I'll be ready if that day should come. The little horse head on a broomstick is another example. The kids are in their teen years and have definitely outgrown that plaything. I, however, see its potential for some future costume party, along with our cowboy hat and sheriff badge.
You may be getting the impression that our family storage problem is of my making. That would be correct. I'm the one in our household who has held on to two ancient shortwave radio receivers for nearly four decades. One of them gave out a small cloud of smoke when I plugged it in. My solution was to cut off the cord so that no one else would be tempted to try it. Then I put it back on the shelf.
I also own a steering wheel that must have come from someone's boat. It's in the attic of our garage, along with some solar heating pumps and controllers that were given to me in the early nineteen eighties. I move a broken sled out of the way whenever I want to look at these treasures.
The other members of the family are much less afflicted with this pack rat tendency. My daughter just discarded three fourths of her collection of empty pastille candy tins. Her room is noticeably neater. My son is also helping to eliminate clutter. He's been hauling lumber and hardware out of our garage and using it to extend his skateboard ramps. Then yesterday he announced that he had completed a wall-to-wall carpet installation in the tree fort. I looked downstairs and, sure enough, our basement is now free of old carpet remnants.
I've noticed that I'm just one of many people who hold on to things we will probably never need. Some of my neighbors can no longer gain access to areas in their basements without hours of effort. Their efforts to impose order on the chaos usually make things worse. When attempting to add shelves, for instance, they bring in numerous tools and parts. In clearing out space to work, they make new discoveries and their priorities shift. Another huge mess is born.
There are several good books on the subject of letting go of the junk in our lives. They contain practical remedies, such as the policy of giving away any clothes that haven't been worn during the last year. The writers are often philosophical: Don't love the things that won't love you back. They all point out the many hidden costs of keeping unnecessary stuff, and provide helpful tips on how to unburden.
I, too, have advice to offer. If you put old books in the attic or basement they may become damp or moldy and will certainly be forgotten. Instead, give them to a library where they will probably be available if you ever wish to read them again. Also, consider donating idle tools to your local tool library and borrowing them back when you need them. This has been the source of most of our collection at the Phinney Center Well Home Program Tool & Book Library (789-4993).
Do you own one of those little wooden boxes that has the shoe polish and rags inside, a little foot rest on the lid, and you haven't used it since who knows when? Offer it to someone you know who works downtown and has to have shiny shoes every day. They probably already have one, but it was nice of you to offer. Now just say yes to the next Truck-In-Your-Neighborhood phone call regarding donations of usable clothing and household goods. That thing is definitely a household good.
Do you own any old disco records? Bury them in the yard. Do you happen to have an old Solex moped that's missing the engine? Let's get together.
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