I was standing in line at my grocery store the other day as a woman in front of me was checking out a big order. I watched for a few minutes as the clerk used roughly fifty plastic bags to make it easy for her to carry her groceries fifty feet from her car to her garage. The chicken breasts were already in a Styrofoam box with a plastic covering. She asked that the chicken be doubled bagged, so that if, God forbid, the chicken leaked on the way home, her family would not be hospitalized with salmonella. I figure her order used more plastic than all the cosmetic surgeons in Southern California during the first quarter of the year.
By the way, I always thought salmonella sounded like a guy who played second base for the Yankees during the early ‘60’s. “Stepping up to the plate now, second baseman Sal Monella”.
I put my two cloth bags on the ground, (yes, I know, I think I’m saving the planet. I’m a snowflake, a cupcake, a cheesecake, a garden rake, whatever, I’m doing what I can,) and I settled in for a bit of a wait. I looked around and saw the ubiquitous magazine rack of various selections, mostly aimed I assume at women. A magazine called “STRESS FREE HOME” by House and Garden caught my eye for some reason. I picked it up feeling a bit like I was stealing for looking at it for free. Then I caught the price. $16.95 for a magazine! STRESSED FREE HOME STRESSED ME OUT!
Inside were wonderful pictures of homes and hotels with people relaxing in gardens, being massaged, finding their core, hydrating their pubic areas, and growing extra toes to run faster. You know, stuff people with no kids, older parents, or a pain in the ass partner do.
And then at the end of the magazine was a spread by decluttering queen Marie Kondo. She is the genius who made a fortune telling women to throw out the trophies their husbands won coming in third place at his company’s Vegas golf outing.
Here is the only decluttering I did. $16.95 from my bank account.
So here is my take on handling stress at home. There is an effective tv spot running right now. It features a couple in their late 30’s. Second marriage for both. 12 kids are screaming and going crazy around them. They look miserable. They saved money by combining their cell phone costs. Cut to her sister, smiling, holding a glass of wine alone on a beautiful white couch, who says, “I got the same deal, as a single person.”
Bottom line, unless you live alone, and that has its own issues, other folks gonna bring you a little stress.
We live in a period of awful stressful situations. There is a horrible North Carolina congressman who calls Zelensky a thug and throws a rose to our enemy. And there is the Murderous Madman from Moscow who feels nothing for killing children and elderly people.
We all feel stress. Cleaning out a cabinet probably won’t do the job. I’m going to have a drink. That’s probably not the answer either.
Bravo Bob!!!!! Stress decluttering indeed! I tried decluttering, once. My husband’s collection of Rolling Stone mags. OOOPS. Never again. Don’t need that stress. So, I just get rid of my own collection of Better Homes and Gardens from 1976 with a couple of cute ideas that will never happen. And I feel better. Now where is that wine?!?!?
I love this. It pretty much sums it up. I have so much stress in my life and none of it is anything I have any control over. I’m a sole caregiver for my mom on a ventilator at home. Our family will help for an hour or 2 here & there if I ask, any longer is to much for them. We have a nurse that comes while I go to work, she & mom don’t always get along. Between all of her needs & work my life is not my own & I really have no control over(unless I was to put her in a facility which I won’t do if I can help it). I’ve accepted my lack of control over my life and time right & just do the best I can day by day & have a glass of wine when I can.
I love this and will have a drink with you later today
Love this Bob! And congratulations to the Wbt radio Hall of Fame. I thought you should have been in it long ago! I watched PM Magazine and know you have been
with WBT radio and TV for decades! Have fun at the ceremony! Carol
Maiden, N.C.
Bob, how stressful our life is. How much of the stress do we bring upon ourselves?!?!? We need to learn to relax and just enjoy this allotted time we have on this earth. I know there is a magazine article out there about that too. I currently have a post on my Facebook page that I shared from a “Daily Dose of Happy”. It says, “In this life we are all just walking up the mountain. We can sing as we climb or we can complain about our sore feet. Whichever we choose, we still gotta do the hike. I decided a long time ago, singing made a lot more sense.” I love this.
Great job Bob. I don’t drink, but I will join you with Giant Hershey’s Almond candy bar. Yep, I know that is not the answer either. But hey, we are happy for about 10 minutes.
By he way, I’m a long time fan. I loved your little TV show from way back when. I’ve followed you on all of your radio shows in Charlotte. Now I have to stalk you and Sheri and find out which radio station I can listen to your show on, or find you on the webs. Like Sheri, I’m not stressing about my hair color any more. My hair has gone from dark brown to my natural grey and I couldn’t be happier. My eyebrows finally match my hair!
I like what Dinero said in “Heat”
“Don’t get involved in something you can’t walk away in 30 seconds.”
I never could do this and don’t know, we’ll maybe a couple of people who could.
It sounded like a way to not create stress.
Amen to that! And I’m glad you use the cloth bags! I have tons of them myself. You just keep being awesome you!
You go Bob. To keep my sanity I have a very small list of what declutter areas give me joy. Probably far from enough for my husband. But i know what makes him happy and try to support his own ‘gotta have it declutter list’. It makes him happy. I dram about perfection. I try to embrace reality. Drinks in the horizon. Having a few for you and your radio peeps. Thanks from California
Good article Bob. Love you and Sheri listen to you when up north at the cabin. Love the newsletter keep it up both of you. Minnesota Pete
Perfectly stated!
That was a great story.
You articulate well BOB.
Johnny Eddington Maine
Yes sir! Alcohol IS sometimes the only answer. Love the show, love the newsletter, love you & Sheri. Long time listener, never bored of your antics.
Bob- Spot On ! Really, it seems like stress is more now than ever, I feel it more than ever.
I love y’all’s show (especially the Odd Cast) and I’m a long time listener from Harrisburg NC… and watched PM Magazine In my teens 🙂
I must say I do feel accomplished if not stress free from decluttering my home. If you haven’t worn it or used it in a year, then get rid of it is a good rule of thumb. More room in the closet and less stuff to walk around feels like relief of sorts. I’ll take any feeling a lightened burden I can get!
Love this!
A – freaking – men.
I only wish there were more people like you and Sheri in the world! You are great people with hilarious personalities. Some days it’s hard to keep a positive outlook when so many horrible things are happening in this world, but you offer a platform for people to take a break from it all and get a good laugh. I’m still laughing at things you’ve talked about on the show years ago. It’s nice for your listeners to know there are still a lot of caring people, like yourselves, in the world. Thanks for all you do, Bob! You’re fighting the good fight, my friend!