I love the title and the concept. Boomer offspring are going and maybe have already started to navigate the avalanche of stuff that baby boomers have amassed over the years.
Do you try to separate the good stuff from the mediocre or just get a removal company to haul it all way (sound of hands clapping…well, that’s that)? If the boomers are dead and gone, the process is unsentimental (dictionary sez it’s a word). But what if we’re alive and kicking and it’s time to downsize with the help of your offspring.
Keep in mind that baby boomers were raised by parents that went through hard times (the depression, duh!) and years of uncertainty. That translates into behaviors that included saving every rubber band, balls of twine, newspapers, and much, much more. On top of having “save everything” parents, most boomers have lived in the same house for twenty years or more. Things come in the door but rarely go back out.
Organization professionals advise boomers and their children to start in the most unsentimental places. Think under the sink, in the linen closet, and down in the basement. There will be less emotional attachment there than with the china cupboard or the photo albums. And don’t even think about the bags full of photo slides that you can’t sort because no one has slide projectors anymore. [Moment of truth: After stalling for years, I finally tossed all my slides from vacations and family events. It was impossible to cull them down to those worth saving, and what would I do with them in any case.]
If you have children or do not, you would be doing everyone a big favor if you started the winnowing process on your own. Make friends with everyone down at the Goodwill store as you make your weekly deposits of furniture, clothing, appliances, books, records, tapes, CDs, and so much more. After you unload everything you can treat yourself to a used flannel shirt or silk blouse. That seems fair, doesn’t it?
Your children/executor will thank you many times over if you make their job easier. I can honestly say I have had very little donator’s remorse whilst thinning out the avalanche. Can’t remember even one time that I thought I should not have tossed/donated something. But we are having fun rummaging through what everyone else has given. The trick is not to come home with it.
Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.
