I didn't have a yard sale because I'm
moving. I'm moving because I had a yard sale. This might not make
sense at first, however it really does make perfect sense.
I have been pondering moving for about
a year. Things changed with my job and it was no longer enough to
keep me happy here in Laramie. Starting over again is scary, however,
so I was putting off making the decision. One of the factors in my
delay was my stuff. I got rid of 90% of my belongings when I moved to
Laramie, because I could only tow a small U-Haul trailer with my car.
I was okay with that, because starting over is cathartic. Since I
have been here I have acquired so much stuff! All of it was low cost
or free, but most of it was very good quality. I hated to get rid of
things I'd had such a short time, and also who knows if I would find
things this nice again after I moved, and most likely not at the
excellent price I had gotten these items for.
I had a book on my Amazon wish list for
years called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. I had wanted the book for a long time
(and to get copies for my family members who also collect too many
things), but never did it. I was watching a TV show a few months ago
and it mentioned the book, and I paused the show, pulled up Amazon
and ordered the Kindle book. I read the first few pages and paid
extra for the audio narration. Before it was even done with chapter
one I was already pulling out my clothes to sort them. Now, this book
has some steps that I did not do. I did not personally thank each
item for the joy it brought me before discarding. I did, however,
take every item of a kind and lay it out on the floor or the bed. I
touched every item, held every article of clothing, and really did
think, do I “love” it, or does it bring me joy? I was able to
discard so many things that either never did, or no longer brought me
joy. I was able to get rid of clothes because I wanted to love them
or fit in them. I discarded books that I knew I'd never read again,
even though seeing them brought me joyful memories of a time
(college!), or where I was in life when I read them. I realize that I
probably had an easier time of this than some (or possibly most)
people because I was ready to do this, I was ready to clean out my
life again. There is a joy that downsizing brings, and it brought me
great joy to discard what I did not need. I used to love making
meatloaf, and I had this great meatloaf pan with the drip tray. I
spent decent money on this pan, but I have not made meatloaf in over
four years. I did not need this pan sitting in the cupboard taking up
space, because the longer I go without making it, the less likely I
am to make it.
I listed to the audio book for three
days straight, before work, at lunch, all night until I fell asleep.
By the end of the first week I had over half of my wardrobe in the
donate pile, three quarters of my dishes and cooking utensils, and
one quarter of my books set aside. At first I was going to donate my
items because I didn't think I would have enough for a sale, but by
the end of the second week I had filled my entire dining room with
all the items I decided to get rid of, including nearly all of my
furniture. I moved out here with a bed and a dresser, and I will be
returning to Virginia with a bed frame, two dressers, and a locker. I
realized that while I loved my roll top desk and hated the idea of
getting rid of it, I also loved my six foot metal desk that I had to
leave when I moved here. I bought the roll top desk at an estate
sale, and the metal desk at a second hand shop. If I loved both of
those desks, I'll find another that I will love. And if I don't, it's
not the end of the world.
By the end of the third week I decided
that since I was okay discarding another 90% of my belongings, I
could afford to move. I did not want a giant U-Haul or a storage unit
when I moved. That was a waste of money until I found a place to
live. Now with my smaller amount of belongings I can more easily
store my things, so now I am ready to go. When I started this
downsizing project, I had every intention of staying in Laramie until
sometime after March of next year. My yard sale literally made it so
that I can move earlier.
The one sad thing about my sale was
that I met some very lovely people. I had several long conversations
with two sort of neighbors, one that had just moved here from Texas
and was in culture shock, and one from Arizona that preferred Wyoming
to the heat of the South. I met one gentleman that commented about
how I didn't sound Southern, so we had a nice discussion about
accents. One nice gentleman gave made some Wyoming Jade that he
carried with him, because I gave him such a good deal. I must have
had truly excellent prices, because almost everyone told me to keep
the change on what they gave me for their purchases. I sold almost
everything, and left the rest out for free, and the only item I am
having to haul away is my old mattress that I wanted to get rid of
anyway. It was a very successful event and I am glad that I bothered
with it, as I made a good deal of money to use for the move.
