Clearing out the closets

Just now I've been trying on clothes in preparation for a very exciting trip I'm planning to take in about nine days (more about that when the time comes; I like to retain my aura as a woman of mystery).

Ever since I've been blogging, and probably for a long time before, I've yearned to become more organized and streamlined in my life. That means, for example, that those file cabinets brimming with old papers-and the haphazard piles of same that surround them--need to be reduced by a factor of approximately 75% (although, of course, if I did that, I would be sure to keep my old report cards so I could properly illustrate posts such as this).

Likewise the clothes--oh, those clothes! Although I'm not a totally fashion-obsessed woman, I do try to look at least passably au courant (although not while blogging; pajamas would probably be an improvement over what I habitually wear while blogging).

When traveling, I'm always trying to simplify and take as little as possible. Yeah, right, say those who've seen my suitcases, stuffed to the gills with things I might need for this or that contingency or the sudden snow squall in July. But I'm trying, I'm trying.

Trying on, that is. And all those clothes that looked so decent last year or the year before (or, in some cases, ten years ago) don't quite cut it now. And speaking of "cut it," out went the last remnants of the shoulder-padded linebacker look--what were we thinking of?

Yes indeed, I'm just a brainwashed slave of fashion. Plus, my closet seems to hold clothes in three closely related but differing sizes. It's the range I've covered throughout most of my life, except for those very skinny ballet years. My clothes from last year are all too large--ordinarily not a bad phenomenon--but this poses a dilemma. Should I assume that this relative slenderness is my new and stable state, and have them altered to fit? Or will that sort of hubris cause an immediate weight gain, in much the same way that leaving an umbrella at home invariably precipitates a rainy day?

Clearing out the excess not only frees up space, it frees the spirit as well. And yet it's so easy to put off the chore of going through it all and reducing the clutter, the piled-up detritus of the years. Instead, other things always seem more pressing. Doing what absolutely needs to be done: work, food, brushing one's teeth. Reading, reading, reading. Having an actual social life, among real people. Going outside on a beautiful day. Writing today's post.