My cousin works at the local thrift store. I use the word work but it looks more like playing to me. He constructs outdoor art out of cool metal objects and fixes orphaned lamps. 

A while back he lent tapes about how to Feng Shui your living space to anyone who would listen. I never got on the list but people who did decluttered madly and hauled bags full of sellable goods to... the thrift store. A coincidence I'm sure. 

The thinking behind Feng Shui, I believe, is to clear your home of things that sap your energy. Those clothes that don't actually fit, but might someday, only remind you of your imperfect waistline. The tupperware containers with no lids augment your frustration putting away leftover spaghetti. When you remove them, it makes more room for the glass vase you truly love, and the perfume you feel beautiful wearing. I think it's called chi. 

The same cousin has tried to explain to me why it's a good idea to declutter my brain of Opinions. Opinions create a crawl space between what I expected and what is. Disappointment fits nicely there. 

I tried it today. As soon as I got on the turnpike another car edged in front of me. An opinion about the driver sprang up, but I let it go like a lidless container. I listened to a story on the radio about the trial in Boston and another sharp opinion poked its head in. I let it blow out the window. 

I felt lighter, as if I had been relieved of the duty of Passing Judgment. It made more room for feelings that make me feel alive.