2023.10.21
Melissa gets frustrated with me because I don't see clean up (or closing cabinet doors in some cases :-D ) as part of the basic task. I WILL, generally, swing back to it, but as part of a separate noticing "oh things are out of whack" task later. It's not that I expect someone else to do it for me, but my tolerance for having it undone for a bit is higher.
And she points out, rightly, this isn't great for a concept of "shared space" and indeed I am trying to mend my ways and be better about cleaning up as I go.
But it makes me think - especially at the moment where we've done a fair chunk of decluttering for houseguests - in a way decluttering is like acknowledging your FUTURE SELF as someone you "share space" with. Like keeping things organized and out of the way is a way of respecting and being kind to that future version of you.
relevant dialog from 2004:
"I could spend the time to sort this crap out properly. But I'd rather send a message to my future self. That message is 'F*** you, YOU sort it out, I'm busy.'" [begins dumping stuff from closet into cardboard box.]
"Yeah, but didn't you already kind of do that to yourself, that's why it's in this state now?"
"Nah. That wasn't me, that was my past self. He was a real prick."