Some people clean their own houses. Others hire someone to do the task. The latter usually find someone both reliable and efficient, but there’s a catch. Probably the hired cleaner does not go into the recesses of the closet where the homeowner stores the most private and valuable objects. Cleaning those closet recesses is usually the homeowner’s task. Of course, out-of-sight, out-of-mind applies: The recesses of the closet might remain un-cleaned for weeks, months, or even years. The homeowner might venture into the back of the closet to retrieve something now and then, but generally, his or her visits are infrequent and brief.
The key word in the last sentence is “generally.” Some homeowners seem to prefer the back of the closet, and they visit its recesses frequently. Why would they do this? Those objects hidden in the dark corners inordinately occupy their attention, and they devote time to arranging and rearranging the contents while assessing and reassessing their value. In some instances, a homeowner simply stares blankly at the collection, not quite sure of its significance, yet unable to “clean the closet.”
What would happen if the homeowner allowed the hired help to clean the back of the closet? Would the collection appear different in a room under a flood of sunlight and through someone else’s eyes? Would objects that seemed important in the back of the closet suddenly lose their value or seem, in the new light, to be an unnecessary assemblage?
Take a moment to visit the back of your closet, and, without thinking too much, without rearranging, and without reassessing, grab something that once seemed significant, possibly something that caused embarrassment or a grudge. Take it out into the light. Look at it there, not back in the dark recesses of the closet corners.
Is what you keep in the back of your memory closet worth keeping?
The key word in the last sentence is “generally.” Some homeowners seem to prefer the back of the closet, and they visit its recesses frequently. Why would they do this? Those objects hidden in the dark corners inordinately occupy their attention, and they devote time to arranging and rearranging the contents while assessing and reassessing their value. In some instances, a homeowner simply stares blankly at the collection, not quite sure of its significance, yet unable to “clean the closet.”
What would happen if the homeowner allowed the hired help to clean the back of the closet? Would the collection appear different in a room under a flood of sunlight and through someone else’s eyes? Would objects that seemed important in the back of the closet suddenly lose their value or seem, in the new light, to be an unnecessary assemblage?
Take a moment to visit the back of your closet, and, without thinking too much, without rearranging, and without reassessing, grab something that once seemed significant, possibly something that caused embarrassment or a grudge. Take it out into the light. Look at it there, not back in the dark recesses of the closet corners.
Is what you keep in the back of your memory closet worth keeping?
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