“Dust if you must”, a poem by Rose Milligan, resonates deeply. Since my physical abilities have deteriorated, and my need for time to recuperate has lengthened I’ve learned to prioritise: those activities that make me happiest come first now. Always. That includes poo-patrol for my pony’s health and well-being, and my dogs – and of course, feeding, health maintenance, exercise. And then things that must be done for our own basic domestic health and safety – cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, laundry, vacuuming. I’ve taken to dusting with the vacuum cleaner. And I’ve begun a slow declutter to cut down on cleaning.
But by the time I’ve done the “happy” stuff, I often don’t have the energy to tackle more than the absolute essential “must-do” stuff; so I read, and ignore it. (Fear not, I’m blessed with a life-partner who takes up the everlasting domestic battle, god help him!)
Which brings me to an interesting thought. Why do we “need” time-stealing “stuff”? Why do we collect mementos and ornaments, which then need furniture upon which to display them? And then not only do we work to buy the stuff and the furniture and have to dust them, but we need to buy a vacuum cleaner and pay for electricity, and then we need a higher paid job and that means stress, and then our health suffers and we need time off … can you see where I’m going?!
I wonder why we seem to be programmed to accumulate possessions which have no real function. Is it a fundamental expression of “comfort”, or is it a learned behaviour that we must “keep up with the Joneses” to be perceived as successful, desirable human beings?
My fascination with accumulation has been kickstarted by my desire to declutter. Many of my possessions cost me, or those who gifted them to me, a significant amount of energy. Translate that, if you will, into payment per hours labour. As such, I don’t want to send them to landfill. My preferred method of disposal is to re-sell, and pay my electric bill, or buy a bale of hay. But … nobody wants to buy “used goods”. Or they will pay a fraction of the original cost – I’m guilty of this myself, and happily re-label it as recycling!
Which takes me back to time. Instead of spending X hours labouring for £Y and spending Z hours searching for a gift to buy me for £A, why not spend XYZA hours enjoying each other’s company – on preloved furniture? Memories are FOC and infinitely re-visitable …
© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, 2021
Treating your horse with care, connection, curiosity, and compassion
