GARBAGE...

Garbage.  Simply put, I'm talking about the stuff you should be throwing out.  The stuff there is no question about.  Not your opinion of someone's stuff being garbage, but actual GARBAGE. 

I've had a lot of conversations in the past few weeks about garbage with my team.  In my line of work, I deal with garbage everyday.  And it always amazes me that all of us keep garbage in our homes.   I'm not casting judgement, mind you.  I'm just as guilty. 

I recently worked on a home and I handed everyone a garbage bag as we entered for set up.  Not because the house was dirty, or even untidy for that matter.  But because there was garbage everywhere.  As I walked into the living room, there was a plastic cup just sitting there, several local grocery store ads, receipts for ONE cup of coffee, along with the stray bobby pin, and aspirin.  There was a cellophane wrapper in a drawer, a near empty Ziploc box, and a book of matches with 1 match.

This is normal for everyone, but you know what?  It takes up a lot of time to clean it up!  The first hour in any home is usually spent throwing out garbage.  So it got me thinking and when I came home that day, I looked at my desk and I saw garbage.  Things I should've thrown out but never did.  A stray business card from someone I never plan or need to contact, a pad of 3 post-its that are wrinkled beyond recognition, an emery board that isn't very useful, some gum wrappers and an envelope that's torn open along with a VOGUE ITALIA magazine with Madonna on the cover that I intend to sell...someday...because apparently it's better that it sits near my desk for 4 years. 

Bottom line, I've been living with garbage.  Why?   Why did I think I should save the file of recipes from 2 years ago that I never used?  Why? 

So as soon as you finish reading this, do yourself a favor and look around the room you are sitting in, and throw out your garbage.  Not a mass re-organization of the room, but literally, the trash that is in front of you.

You can thank me later.