Do any of you believe in Feng Shui?
Ok, so in looking at the Wikipedia entry for Feng Shui (very briefly) I realized that I don’t even have a clue what it really is. So I’ll give you my very short version of the only things I know and have heard of Feng Shui so we’re on the same page.
My first experience with the concept of Feng Shui was in a visit to my best friend M’s mom’s house. M’s then-stepdad had a thing for hunting (and decorating with pink plastic flamingos — but that’s another story) and so there tended to be deer heads on the walls and things of that nature. One day, it must have been in high school sometime, I came over to their house and the animal head that had adorned the place above the fireplace had been replaced by a large painting of the ocean. I asked M. about it and she replied that her mom and stepdad had gotten the den Feng Shui’d….the water element was supposed to balance out the fire element. I don’t remember if we had a laugh about it at the time, but I definitely laugh when I think about it now!
The only other knowledge I have of the idea of Feng Shui is an article I read a few years back, most likely in one of my guilty pleasure girly magazines, that talked about how when you have too much clutter in your life and your house it can block development and change. You’ve got to clear out all those old dust bunnies — literally and figuratively.
Ok, so using that example as what I mean by Feng Shui. do you buy it? Because I think I do.
I was looking around my apartment tonight, gearing up for what I hope to be a productive weekend of some cleaning and discarding of things I don’t need, and I realized fully how much I have my work cut out for me. I know it’s probably shocking and mystifying, but even though my ex-fiance moved out more than a year and a half ago, I still have things relating to him laying about, like the lovely wedding planning book my friend T. bought me, and a whole drawer full of photos, many of which include him.
It’s not like I pore over these photos wistfully all the time or anything, but what do I do with them? I don’t like the idea of throwing them away, because we were together for 3 years and there were so many great moments in those 3 years….in our relationship, but also, for example, trips that I took with him that were special and wonderful and aren’t any less memorable now. I don’t want to forget all those things just because we’re not together anymore. It’s a part of my life, just like my parents and friends are a part of my life, and it would be strange to just pretend it never existed.
But then again. what does one do with these things? When the next guy comes along and wants to look at my photos, are all those shmoopy photos going to be in the pile I show him? I certainly don’t think so, but I haven’t had to deal with this yet.
Something tells me I need to un clutter my living space and it will help unclutter my heart. If only I knew where to start…
Filed under: breakups, dating, engagement, life, love, men, navel-gazing, relationships, single
Knowing where to start is certainly the biggest question of Feng Shui de-cluttering. Baby steps seems to be the best possible advice, but it seems like we don’t even have time for that. Just ten minutes a day, starting in a corner of each room, can help with your progress. Of course, now I have to get started too….
I have a box of photos like that with an assortment of ex-girlfriends in there. There just snapshots of memories, of your past, and I think any guy or person can understand that, as long as you’ve closed the door, which I think you obviously have.
As for Feng Shui, all I have going for me along those lines are I don’t have anything. I’ve moved often enough in the past 8 years that I’ve cut down to the basics! Only now I’m a collecting a little bit of clutter, and it’s all being stuffed into a closet!
Some day, I’m gonna attack that closet!!!
Heh, I kinda don’t, but only for convenience sake. You’re supposed to face your bed east, but I have no choice but to face it west, so I figure if I don’t believe, the bad ju ju can’t affect me. Or something like that.
I had a similar problem a couple of months ago. I found stacks of paper. Lots of stuff that I had written in college, photos, etc. Ideas that I didn’t want to throw away, but, geez, it was taking up a lot of shelf space.
My solution? I scanned it all into the computer. Giant PDF files of all that stuff, easily burned to a CD. Then I shredded the paper, just to make sure I couldn’t hold onto it. Now I have it forever (backed up, even!), but it doesn’t clutter my life. Just takes up a few megs on the hard drive…
Hey! unfortunately i’m not giving out the password, for my posts. i know, i know, very lame of me but sometimes… well sometimes ya just gotta password protect a few!