By SUSAN DROMEY HEETER, Joyful Musings
Today I muse joyfully on an organized closet. I threw out and sorted, I tossed and I donated. I’d like a standing ovation as I know where my shoes are, know where that brown cashmere sweater is that I like to throw on over my pajamas on cooler mornings. I feel complete, supremely accomplished.
Truth be told, I’m not entirely organized and most definitely not a type A when it comes to putting things away, in order, in any methodology to neatness. I like to have a sense of where things are, generally can grab and go in less than five minutes – but every once in a decade or so, I have a good clean out.
And today I met up with the white Doc Martens that saw me through hundreds, if not thousands of miles during the 90’s. I wore them everywhere, they traveled in the states, in Europe, in east Asia. And now they sit quietly in my newly organized closet. My daughter had borrowed them a few years ago, changed the shoe laces; they got out for a bit but now are retired, hanging around new Birkenstocks and flip flops.
I’ll keep them around – just as I’ll keep the three white blouses I never wear but think, someday I’ll need them. They don’t bring me joy but I’m not ready to part with them. I like them; they seem necessary. I’ll hang on until I won’t.
And Musers, if you’ve not done a good clean out, I hope you’ll find time in the next decade or two to get a chance to purge, to organize, to donate, to reminisce. It’s fun to travel back in time via Doc Martens, via clothes that no longer seem necessary. I muse joyfully you’ll take the journey.
Susan Dromey Heeter is a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white. Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards.