Jason E. Andersen

Keeping clutter

Bonus Fun Fact Opinion: Some clutter is good and it’s okay to enjoy the seemingly pointless objects that take up space in your life.

While relocating from Iowa to Minnesota, I have been getting rid of a lot of stuff. You know what I mean — the accumulation of mysterious possessions gained through living in one place for decades. When you start going through all your stuff, you wonder how you got so much of it. Society tells me that I should get rid of said stuff and adopt a more minimal approach, thus living a happy life free of possessions weighing down my soul.

With my new job, I have also been doing a lot of driving. This means my consumption of radio and podcasts has drastically increased. Minnesota Public Radio had a Marketplace episode titled ‘The case for clutter‘ which really spoke to my heart. It advocated that, if otherwise pointless objects (i.e. clutter) make you happy, you should keep them. This is somewhat the reverse complement of the ‘Does it spark joy?’ decluttering mindset, which is a similar idea.

Therefore, I do not feel bad for keeping my California Raisins or hanging on to my antique bottle collection. Is it clutter? Yes. But, when I look at them, they make me happy. That’s what counts, right?

My grandpa’s California Raisins ‘cluttering’ up the back of our kitchen sink. My grandpa, on my mother’s side, for whatever reason kept these behind the sink of their house. When he passed away in the late 90’s, they got into my hands. They remind me of him and of good memories from simpler times (circa 1987). From left to right: Tux, Hush, Sax, and Shades.

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