There is a basic tenet of moving that I have twice ignored to my detriment. That tenet is, “Purge before packing.” Not such a difficult tenet to grasp, but clearly one that I have not been able to get a handle on.

When I moved from Kindred to West Fargo I didn’t purge because I kept thinking that I might need all that stuff in the new house. My garage was quite literally filled wall-to-wall to the ceiling with items I wasn’t using day-to-day, but was not ready to let go of. After living in the new house for about four months I went out to the garage and did a proper purge. I built a wall of boxes and bags and called Dakota Boy’s Ranch to cart it away. It took two more such purges to get rid of the bulk of the garage congestion. There are still some bins out there almost four years later, but lately I have been feeling the urge to rid myself of those as well. 

You would think I learned something from the Kindred experience, but apparently not. Last week I packed up my Minard Hall office. In my defense I purged a few things, but for the most part I just packed it all up and had the movers bring it over to my new office in Putnam Hall. I am not sure when I acquired all the stuff I packed up or why I would want to keep it, but I willingly directed it to my new space. In trying to discern what to get rid of and what to keep I started sorting. In the sorting process I amassed a few piles around my office…okay, a half dozen or so piles.

I knew drastic action was called for today when Dustin, the project director for the grant, came to my office for a meeting and asked if I had ever seen the show “Hoarders.”   Oh my…tomorrow I purge.

Day one hundred and ninety-eight of the new forty – obla di obla da

CC