A lifetime of stuff meets its match

The Anderson house is going through a major decluttering. Discussions about downsizing and adding our name to the waiting list of an island independent living community pushed us into facing our lifelong collection of “stuff.” Clearly, I have never thrown anything away. Much of our accumulation has been moved too many times to even remember.

So we are not moving — but preparing as if we were. There is no hurry. To say it has been cathartic is an understatement. Slowly but surely, we attack a closet, filling garbage cans with truly useless items or donating to one of the many worthy nonprofit resale shops.

I have discovered Facebook Marketplace. It’s a feature within Facebook where people buy and sell items, usually within their local area. Every day I check to see what others have listed — a true potpourri of good and bad.

Think of it as a digital garage sale or classified ads section, built right into Facebook. With my newfound AI empowerment, I photograph an item, ask AI exactly what I have and its market value — and it even writes the ad. Then the listing is posted, responses come in, and sales are made. It has become a borderline obsession, a daily game. You never know what will sell.

Some moments stop me in my tracks. One morning, I found myself sitting in the garage, opening long-sealed boxes. Lo and behold, my high school and college yearbooks were neatly packed away. Flipping through the pages, I found mostly happy memories of my younger self. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the notes scribbled inside the covers — smiley faces, teasing comments, and friendships frozen in time.

Kitchens and bathrooms seem to accumulate an astonishing inventory of products. Some are rarely used, some never used, and yes, some are long expired. I once read that if you can replace something for less than $20, throw it away. In years past, I had buckets of hotel shampoos and lotions collected from travels. Those days are gone. Freebies are few — and most are not worth keeping.

The most interesting part of this decluttering campaign is how little trouble we have letting things go. What remains are those things with true sentimental value — objects tied to deep memories. We have made a dent and will keep at it. In the end, decluttering is more than just getting rid of things — it is making room for a more comfortable, neater way of living.