The many potentials of downsizing

I’ve been talking about “downsizing” for at least a couple of years, possibly even going towards a “tiny house” of some kind. Talking, but not so much doing, in fact, my current decorating sense might be a bit closer to the hoarder end of the spectrum than minimalist.

For more than one reason, I’m really trying to get myself to actually remove more from the house and yard than is coming in.

If I haven’t sat on it in 2 years, needs to go, if I haven’t worn it in 2 years, it needs to go. The goal is to get to a point that should I decide to move, it won’t take 6 months and 2 trailer trucks to do it. So, today I was looking around the front room and it hit me.

What if, instead of just downsizing by choice, I was in a position suddenly, of having to move not into a tiny house, but one room. A room about the size of my current bedroom, and… I’d have to share.

Luckily, at the moment, that is not an immediate risk, however I have had 2 grandparents that ended up in nursing homes, one for over 7 years requiring “total care” following a massive stroke.

One uncle was in assisted living until hospice became necessary and to keep him close to those family members he was most comfortable with, spent his final month(s) in a nursing home with what I can honestly say, was excellent care and even a private room. Currently, my parents are beginning to exhibit signs that hopefully they will never need to go to any facility, but who knows, I’m the only surviving child and currently live 2 counties away, though that may change if possible.

The point is, and especially with the current world wide health scares, it’s possible.

We are all one illness, one accident, one whatever away from requiring significant if not total care and unless your net worth allows for extended, high-quality in-home

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‘Community Commentary’

By David Corbett DAVID CORBETT (cont.)

care, micro-sizing is a possibility.

Now, having worked not only in multinational companies such as International Paper and Marsh / McClennon but also in numerous “health care” situations, I’ve always found it odd that when this or that certification process, inspection, audit is about to happen how stressed everyone gets. Paperwork is “updated”, lots of retraining etc. The reason I would be bemused is, everything we would be getting audited or inspected on, is what we’re supposed to already be doing, every day as standard procedures. Why not just follow the guidelines and policies all the time, then notification of an audit would be almost ho hum.

What I’m trying to get myself to do now regarding downsizing is the same.

Get in the mindset that, If in order to have a “free” life, less stress and such I need less.. Stuff. Why wait and stress out if or when the time comes, why not just make it my standard operating policy.. Now.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not going for the everything I own fits in my backpack or trunk of my car level. But, what do I “need”, what feeds me physically, mentally, spiritually? What allows me to contribute to my community? What do I need to stay clean, clothed, warm and healthy?

Everything else… is fluff and likely as not, more of an anchor than wings. Can I do it? We shall see, won’t be easy for a packrat, heck just my gardening seed collection won’t even fit in the trunk of my car. But, I need