For anyone out there who blogs, or writes articles, or really just writes anything in general, have you ever had one of those days where you had a good idea, and you tell yourself you just have to write about it? And then you have one of those days where you sit down to right about it, but you completely forget what on earth you were planning on writing?
Well, luckily that didn't quite happen with me, because there are too many people on the Internets who won't let me forget it.
Apparently, even in our ultra-capitalist, disgustingly-materialistic society, there are some brave souls out there willing to go without. This is all part of the unofficial "100 Things or Less" challenge, where those brave souls have to give (or sell, or throw) away all but a hundred of their material possessions.
This craze started with Dave Bruno, an online "entrepreneur" and guy who writes stuff, who issued the 100 Thing Challenge to himself one summer when he realized he couldn't quite get into the kitchen without having to stop the hundredth pair of shoes from falling on his head. Having finally developed some sort of averse allergic reaction to the mess his house had become, he now keeps a running tally of his personal inventory, and is "is so averse to excess he can't refer to 100 things in the plural." In other words, he's exactly the kind of guy you wanna go drinking with.
In fact, the last I checked (about eight minutes before posting this), he and his wife were poised to sell their house. Hardcore.
Now, I'm not saying you should just go and sell all of your possessions (although a good friend of mine might say that). I'm even not saying you should go and sell half of your possessions (though, again, a certain friend of ours immortalized in the book of Esther might beg to differ, and half seems like a nice, round number to work with). And frankly, keeping track of your possessions for the sole purpose of tallying them and obsessing over a quota is less healthy than letting them accumulate to begin with.
But let's just play a little game for the fun of it, and see how many random things are right in front of you right now. Since I'm a non-homeless person sitting at my computer in my dorm, I'm assuming you are also sitting at your own computer right now, or at least sharing a computer with a spouse, a roommate, or possibly your parents.
Right now, just at a glance at my desk, I see:
My laptop (obviously)
HP All-in-One printer/scanner/copier (for the multi-taskers out there)
A stack of paper for my printer
A stack of papers on top of my printer (obviously that "paperwork" I was discussing)
My stapler
Pencil sharpener
Pair of scissors from grade school (back before The Brewsky had come into his own)
Some receipts I should probably throw out
A couple of pens (2)
Some pencils (3)
My MP3 player
An eraser (again, from grade school)
Post-It note reminding me about my date
Ticket stub for "True Grit" (which I may or may not be able to deduct as a business expense)
The Emerson MP3 player my buddy gave me the other day
School notepad
Now, as for the stuff inside my desk? Well...
The drawer stuffed full of receipts I need to balance my check book (I use my debit card a lot)
The flashing orange USB plug police light deals my blog buddy gave me...oh, just look here
A case study for one of my classes
Some folders (3)
School planner
Batteries
Some box for a Christmas gift I got (audio recorder, I think)
First aid booklet (for my other job helping Hannibal and the guys get out of sticky situations)
Roll of quarters
The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Watchmen
A Coca-Cola worksheet for one of my business classes
Some article from MercuryNews.com about "keeping the peace at the holiday dinner table" (I should keep that for next year, just to be safe)
More printer paper
Plastic bag from Wal-Mart
An old, presumably broken...yep, it's broken...candy cane
A bottle of bubbles
The Christmas bag the above two items came in when a friend of mine gave them to me
Bag and receipt from the campus bookstore
Now, as for the stuff on the floor right by my desk...
My school notebook
Laundry bag (any clothes you would need for, say, maybe a couple of days, counts as one item)
Underwear (again, all one item--all of it)
Novelization version of the Iron Man film (spoiler: There is no "icing problem.")
Some old textbooks (2)
An old school notebook (What can I say? Our school bookstore is generous.)
Backpack
Briefcase for my laptop
Across the room?
Laundry basket full of clothes (let's just say that's what I wear for about a week and be done with that)
Quart of oil
Some files (5...or 6? Yeah, go with 6.)
Two old backpacks (the books ripped through them like paper. Well, paper processed and held in a hardback by ridiculously profitable textbook companies.)
Plastic silverware (technically that would make it something other than silverware, but whateve)
Shirts on hangers (I'll be a sport and count all 9 of them, including the flannel)
ID tag for the state Thespian festival
Winter coat
Beach towel
Graduation cap and gown (assuming I graduate this term)
Over by my dresser...
Pretzels (2 different brands, so that counts as two)
Can of soup
Shampoo
Soap
Lotion (What? It gets cold this time of year. And my hands always dry out anyway.)
Purex washer/dryer sheets (the kind you can use for both detergent and as fabric softener)
Hydrocortisone or some kind of cream
Tickets for a local play (2)
Air freshener
Electric razor
Hair gel
Toothbrush and toothpaste (frankly, it's better to count hygiene items as one)
Ramen. Lots of Ramen.
Noodles and Sauce. Lots of Noodles and Sauce.
Box of popcorn
Book I need to start reading
On the stand for my TV, there is...
A TV (go figure)
DVD for Season 1 of "Bleach"
DVD for Season 2 of "Bleach" (I should start watching that)
DVD for "(500) Days of Summer"
DVD for the South Park movie
DVD for "The Simpsons" Season 1
Alarm clock
Bottle of soap
Post-It notes
Oh, I think I just hit exactly 100 right here.
And finally, just over by my bed, we have...
Green chair from home
The box for my printer
More (MORE!!??) textbooks (2)
Couple of sweaters (read: 2)
Winter jacket
Plastic bags (3, at a glance)
Cap from the Hard Rock Cafe of Minneapolis
A Confederacy of Dunces (which I seriously need to finish)
Mini-fridge
Apples from the cafeteria
3 water bottles
Some fruit punch from the local dollar store
iChill Relaxation Shot
The Dixie cup I use for that punch (drink too much sugar as it is)
Plastic/metal cup to store in heat from that morning coffee (or hot chocolate, or whatever your warm beverage of choice is)
Napkins
Trash can
Roll of paper towels
Blue Bunny bin I use to heat up Ramen with
And I guess I'm supposed to count the bed coverings too. I'm not counting the bed, though. That's the school's.
So, by my count, that's...124.
As I recounted, it occurred to me that there were a few things I was missing. For instance, 1 "DVD" may refer to a pack of 4 or 5 DVD's with about 3 or 4 episodes each. And I never bothered to check my backpack, or any of the files or folders. Plus, there's also the...yes, the multiplug extension cords I use, and...one plastic bag full of cans and bottles that need returned.
But yes, I'm guessing that I could throw out a lot of this stuff. If not half, than definitely at least enough to put me down to 100 items.
Of course, if you're not a college student like me, then you probably have a lot more stuff to throw out. In which case...well, good luck with that, I guess.
Note: The Brewsky acknowledges that 100 items is a relatively arbitrary quota to go by when getting rid of stuff. Remember to properly dispose of all of your items, or else you could risk getting fined by the city. And, as always, remember that when you get rid of one priceless, mint-condition Han Solo action figure, another poor sap will just buy it. It's the blind leading the blind, the cycle that never ends. The...ugh...Dark Side of the Force, if you will.
Ha ha,I'm tempted to sound like your mother now....
ReplyDelete"Clean your room,it's a disgrace....."