Shinybass Journal Entry 05/13/24

Slimming down your life 

Before we even get started, I’m just going to tell you I’m not all the way there. I’m getting there, but not all the way… 

I’m in a tumultuous time. Life has shown up at our doorstep all pissed off and moody and isn’t leaving until I feed it, give it a new suit, and pay for its  cab fare home. It sounds like a cop out, but my go-to word right now is ‘navigating’, which is all we’re trying to do right now.  I look for direction, inspiration, and hope to make it through the day with more laughs than tears and I try to leave it all on the table when my weary head hits the pillow. Sure, we’re dealing with cancer, but you know what? There are many other things we could be dealing with, and I am not the only person on the planet ‘navigating’.  

I know reading about my ‘always happy and positive’ routine of being Poppy from Trolls gets old. I confide in my close friends and family, but rarely ‘in public’ about how hard life can be. The problem is that EVERYONE is dealing with something, and usually big, they are just great at concealing it. Don’t be fooled by the socials. Life is only glittery when they want to share the glitter. The rest of waking hours is a grind; the same as it is for the rest of the world.  

After almost a year of a cluttered garage, we are finally having a yard sale. My brother suggested a trip to the dumpster instead, and he’s not wrong. Not that our items aren’t usable (which they are and will be at Goodwill if they are leftover), but how much return are we going to get for all the clutter in our lives? It sounds so ridiculous when I type it, but looking forward to a yard sale gives everyone ‘something to do’. The kids get their lemonade stand, we get rid of clutter, and maybe some friends come by for coffee. Win/win. 

Musically speaking, clutter is the worst. Too many notes make a piece wildly uninteresting (for some, not all), and too much musical gear makes our creative space simply uninspiring. I am not going to lie, when I walk in my office and see a row of guitars staring me down, I get a little scared. There’s a little pressure there. Then I must remember that I am lucky to have access to such great gear.  

But what if life forces us to declutter? I know plenty of folks who have gone through divorce, financial trouble, or moved across the country because of work. Rarely do we take every single piece with us when we go. How do we get so much ‘stuff’, and do we REALLY need it? We shouldn’t need life to kick us in the teeth to get us to realize we don’t need all of these trappings. We should ease into that simple living on our own.  

I am fascinated with big city living. I see minimalist living at its finest in Europe, where people make so much happen in a little space. New York fascinates me in the same way. There isn’t much room to gather things in your little apartment, so you make it happen somehow with what you can. There is a BIG City out there with everything you ‘need’, including parks, a library with knowledge, and people to talk with. Once we realize the beauty of the world, we realize the home is not to gather stuff, rather to nurture each other and inspire.  

I haven’t spent as much time in Europe as I would like, but I feel this vibe whenever I go. There is a real value in people rather than ‘things’. I’d like to make that trend a reality in all I do.  

Like I said from the onset, I am NOT THERE YET. I have a lot of stuff to sift through before I can do that. I’mworking on it, though. I have found those 20-year-old T shirts in the back of my closet that HAVE TO GO. Why am I keeping them? I have a favorite shirt that is simply in tatters (shadooby), and I won’t let go. OK, maybe as I hit ‘publish’ on this entry I’ll finally send those shreds of 50/50 blend to the great green beyondwith anxious energy, awaiting our Monday pickup. It’s the best thing for everyone, I’m sure of it. 

What do you need to get rid of? Can you lose 1/3 of your ___________ (shoes, t-shirts, socks, matchbook collection) and still survive? Let me know if you are a practicing minimalist (or wanna be), and maybe we’llget through this together.  In the meantime if you need some lemonade, let me know. I have a couple of solid suppliers.  

‘Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.’ – Confucious  

See you on the road!