What would you lose? What would you miss?

I’ve been meaning to address this topic for a few weeks.  As you read this blog you must realize I have an obsession with organization and decluttering.  If I really think about why, then I have to say it is about simplicity.  I think that if your physical space is uncluttered then it frees the entirety of your life from being consumed by stuff.  And that’s all it ever is….stuff.  I think the other part of this is that I think it is a bit Buddhist to want to let go of attachments.  Stuff, and clutter, and consumption….all attachments.

And what really matters?

At the beginning of July, New York had very heavy rain.  The Mohawk Valley saw flooding that was unlike anything anyone could remember.  In fact, once meteorologists researched, it was discovered that this level of rain and destructive flooding had not happened in over a century.  No wonder it could not be recalled.

Several towns and villages had water everywhere.  Entire streets became streams.  And it wasn’t clean water, it was mud.  Mud was everywhere and in everything, and with the mud came bacteria and god knows what from the sewer drains-drains that could not take the deluge. 

Of course, being central NY, it couldn’t just happen once, it happened a few days later.  So people, who already lived in poverty, found their houses attacked again.  Just when they thought they might be able to save their homes…perhaps they could not.

People lost everything in their basements:  furnaces, hot water heaters, washers, dryers, and anything they stored.  Some people had their sheds washed away, just gone.  Many had total water damage to their cars.  Insurance doesn’t cover floods.  The state stepped in and offered some assistance, the federal government said no, it wasn’t a big enough problem.  Well, it was to those who lost things.

Those are the roofs of cars in a parking lot!

They lost things, and while things are not as important as life itself, not having a home, or the means to rebuild one is a pretty traumatizing experience.  It’s been a few weeks now and I just drove through part of that area last Sunday.  You can see a lot of dust and dirt on the sides of the road, but all the businesses along the highway were open and fine.  There were quite a few dumpsters out that were likely there to deal with the extra messes.  It looks like people are recovering. 

When I think about all that was endured I go back to the idea of decluttering and minimalism.  What would I lose?  What would I miss.  First off, let me disclaimer by saying this is about me and my needs.  What is important to me is not what is necessarily important to someone else.  My hypothetical losses can’t compare to the actual loss people suffered.  What we value and prioritize is individual.

Yes, for me, it’s all stuff, but there is some level of attachment.  I think my main worry would be my three cats.  I would have to protect them if I could and get them to safety.  Then, what would I lose?  I’d lose my gardens, and I’d miss them.  Silly thing to say, but I really like the work I’ve accomplished with the Japanese garden.  And then there is Peachy.  She sits at the head of the garden watching.  I’d hate to lose her.  I’d lose nothing of sentimental value because I really have made it so that there is no attachment to the items.  Plus, my photos are scanned and on Flickr.  (Photos tend to be the number one item people talk about).  Things, even that favorite pair of shoes, can be replaced. 

So, having seen that people can have lives changed by natural disasters they never expected, my thoughts go out to them and their losses.  I hope time heals, that the government gives them aid, that their families give them shelter.  Maybe they will have something positive from it, perhaps their furnace was dying anyways and needed replacement.  Maybe their flooded basement needed cleaning, and now it will be new again.  I wish them the best, and that they find a silver lining to their big, black cloud.