11 things

Note: This post is part of a writing project called Reverb 10, in which writers are asked to reflect on 2010 and manifest what's next. Click here for more info!

Prompt: Prompt: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Thanks, Sam Davidson.)

1. Suburban syndrome (see previous blog entry, “Living with Suburban Syndrome”). I’m happy to say that I’ve found a remedy that has been beneficial: actively seeking out, and surrounding myself with, folks who practice—and therefore validate—the notion that a house doesn’t need to be spotless to be charming; that it’s okay for kids to fall and get hurt sometimes; and that taking your kids hiking when it is below forty degrees does not constitute child abuse.

2. Wheat. Just for a little while. Previous attempts to eliminate wheat from my diet have not been successful (have you ever tried those gluten-free breads?), but as the aches (joint and stomach) have been intensifying of late, I think it might be time to get radical.

3. Folding laundry. What a colossal waste of time. Creases add character. Wrinkles are whimsical. (Thanks, Stacey, for the inspiration!)

4. Clutter. Enough said.

5. Letters. I have a handful of gems in a Doc Martens shoebox, but the rest of them will be tossed into the kindling pile. A wise woman once said, “You want remember, so just remember.”*

6. Self-doubt. It’s the reason stories go unfinished, friendships go un-nurtured.

7. Trying to read Salman Rushdie’s novels. Seriously, is this some kind of joke?

8. Drooling over the greener grass on the other side. Really, I’m pretty freakin’ blessed.

9. Cheap dog food (many thanks to my flatulent dog for the gentle reminder).

10. Toe-clips. Yes, the toe clips on my mountain bike did actually save my life when I went down in Moab, but it’s time to move on to clipless pedals (and you call yourself a cyclist?)

11. Drinking wine before re-verbing. No need to explain.

(*Rena, the Russian-American foster "mom" in Janet Fitch's White Oleander)