Cleaning out the fridge

I just finished cleaning out my refrigerator. I've owned the thing for a grand total of two months and one day, and I'm both appalled and amazed (in an appalled sort of way) at how disgusting this thing got so very quickly. Not that I had stuff splashed every where in there. No, I'm pretty good about not letting that happen. It's just all the "stuff" I had in various plastic containers were like ... well, like bio-hazardous pools of ick.

Which leads me to the reason I'm even writing about this, because, let's be honest here. No one really wants to read about the moldy culinary creations lurking in the dark corners of my refrigerator. No, the entire reason I am even dwelling on the grossness is because, as I was cleaning it out (and berating myself for being such a pig), it occurred to me that I really should have done this sooner, and wow! Doesn't this seem to be an analogy for life?

Oh yes, I did! Yes, I did just make a analogous connection between cleaning out the refrigerator and cleaning out our lives. I mean, really! Don't we all hang on to a lot of stuff that just plain clutters our lives?

I've been doing my annual reflection of my year, and it occurs to me that, once again, I have let the outside world clutter me .. my being, which, if I allow myself to be honest, is robbing me of joy. And it's not just the over-abundant stresses of my job, which seem to have tripled in number this year alone. No, this clutter is more than that. It's the outside forces that worm their way into my life on a daily basis. Things like media -- computer, Facebook, TV, text messages -- and bills and papers and research projects and .... and, well, before I know it, a full year has passed, and what do I have to show for it?

I'm not sure ... other than a permanent crick in my neck, more extra weight on my body, wrinkles, gray hair, and exhaustion.

So, how do I break the cycle?

Cleaning out the clutter. It's going to be my goal to try to shave the amount of time I spend on fruitless efforts down and begin to spend time on things that have meaning and purpose. I can avoid a lot of moldy, bio-hazardous plastic containers of ick that way.

It's an on-going battle that isn't going away anytime soon, and it will be an uphill battle. But if I don't at least attempt to battle it, I'll have no room in the fridge to store the good stuff ... you know what I mean?

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