Objectified

I love to accumulate. Papers and keepsakes, books and magazines. City church bulletins, letters from kids, art supplies. As my mom would like to say, I'm a pack-rat. My roommates would agree that I'm the one who, as Maggie pointed out, will one day have to move out of my room because I've just filled it to its capacity. I will be drowning in stuff. Sounds terrible, but I have the hardest time separating from objects of significance.
Maybe it's because I saw the film "Objectified" today and saw the creative design and thought process behind some of the most mundane things we own. Like a potato peeler or a vacuum cleaner. I guess I will never look at household objects the same way again. But, the last line of the movie, a journalist suggested that no matter how well something is designed, it doesn't mean it will be the first thing we grab when the hurricane comes. We will grab objects of significance, which are unique to each of us.
All of this to say, I've been on a cleaning rampage since summer began and several trash bags and one clothing exchange later, I've just about finished. It feels good to have a simpler life, a file organizer of important papers, a clean purse, a perfectly packed suitcase, an iPhone filled with important contact information. Maybe this is about what becoming an adult is like. Ever since I saw "Away We Go," I've been thinking about how you know when you've reached that phase. I guess you never do reach complete adult nirvana, but rather you come to terms with the fact that it's unattainable. You can question yourself, "Am I a f*&% up?" like John Krasinski and Mia Rudolph's characters do (and I find myself thinking 85% of the time), or you can accept the reality that it will never actually happen. Chapters of the book will close, internships will end, seasons of life will change, relationships will result in an engagement or a break-up.
I know I like to make a mess in the meantime, but I'm always up for the organizational debriefing along the way. But, just when you think you've got it all together, the hurricane might hit and none of the tiny imperfections will survive the deluge.