Clutter everywhere

I desparately need to de-clutter my world, but I am beginning to wonder if I have a resident Clutter Maker in the house because no matter how much I chuck out there just seems to be piles more of it.  I turn my back for a couple of days and a pile has appeared where I had just discovered the surface of the piece of furniture.  The really weird thing is that I don't buy many things, so where is it coming from?  Why is it here?  Dear old Clutter Maker just goes into overdrive some times.  Does he think he is one of Santa's Little Helpers the day before Christmas who has missed an order of toys for the Big Day?

How on earth do some people manage to keep a neat and orderly house that looks like something out of a magazine?  But, there again, I don't think that I would really want to live in a house like that.  It must take a lot of effort to be that perfect and to be honest I just can't be bothered to waste my time trying to be perfect.  Also, what is perfection in the eyes of one is not perfection to another.  Think of all those beautiful people who still see only the imperfections when they look in the mirror.  The thin people who think they are fat, or have put on a pound or two and think that is a huge problem.  I can't remember which celebrity I saw a photo of recently, probably one of the many 'famous' people I have never heard of, and the thought came in to my mind of how difficult it must be for her to get older and lose that perfect face.  It must be quite oppressive to be judged on how beautiful you are, and then to have to age ... though there is plastic surgery to help preserve your looks forever.

I suppose that for some people their house is an expression of their personal style and their social aspirations.  For me it is the place where I live, though it is probably as much an extension of my personality as a perfect home.  The strange thing is that at work I am very organised, but then that is a space which is easier to retain control over.  As I have had to start clearing all my stuff out of the office I have been in for the last 7 years it has maybe surprised me a little that even here I have accumulated clutter.  The thing is that I feel guilty about just disposing of things that could be of use in another place, or at another time.  It was my parent's 'make do and mend' mentality, and the fact that as soon as I get rid of something I need it again.  It is all the fault of that chap Sod who made a law some time ago!

Sunday is a good day for me to do some de-cluttering because the bin men come early on a Monday morning so I don't have the time to rethink my decision to dispose of certain items (I can hear the whispers from my parents "keep it, it might come in useful").  Half the battle is actually being able to get it out of the house and out of reach.  Otherwise it can just moving itself from one place to another in a bid to look as though it could be of use to me in the future, and convince me that it should not be chucked out.  Sneaky stuff this clutter.

Why do I collect recipes when I know that it is unlikely that I will get around to using them?  Why do I keep buying books, when I already have a load that I haven't read yet?

Answers on a postcard...