Losing the clutter bug

TEN YEARS AGO, I left England carrying just one rucksack. Apart from a few items left in the care of family and friends, this rucksack contained all my worldly goods, pared to the minimum in the months before my departure. It was a liberating feeling to be heading into the unknown, without baggage, without job, without commitments and plans. I felt as light as a feather.

Fast forward to 2006, and I have a house full of baggage and belongings. I have cupboards full of VCDs, shelves heaving with books, files, old magazines and newspapers, a desk full of unfiled documents I'm not sure I'll ever need, drawers I dare not open, and suitcases packed with clothes I haven't worn in years. And to top it all, four children and all the clutter that goes with them.

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