Photo Closet

In Other Words with Dave

I’ve packed up most of my house. I’ve moved pretty much anything that would fit in my Volvo. 

My moving tactics are simple. Going room to room, I assess my belongings. The belongings go into one of four piles. Move to new house, sell on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, donate to local non-profit, or throw in the trash. 

Using this system has been fast and effective in every space – all except one. The photo closet. 

What’s a photo closet? If you are of a certain age, you will understand. If you are not, let me explain. Photos used to be printed on paper. And paper needs physical space. At my home, this space is a hall closet. Inside are thousands of photos. Some organized. Some in albums. Some just in boxes. 

I prepare myself to pare down. To use my 4 pile system. Easier said than done. I’m overwhelmed. I see a pic of my old dog, Baron. Awww, such a good dog. And the house I grew up in on Maple Street. Oh, there’s my 3rd grade class picture with Mrs. Wells. And there’s the kids in their Kolache costumes. Whoa, my parents sitting under a waterfall in Jamaica. Oh, I haven’t seen these before… I start to divide up piles for the kids, I add additional piles for the grandkids. Then even more piles for relatives. Examining thousands of things you are trying to pack slows down the process. 

I make a deal with myself. No paring down. No organizing – for now. For now, I will have a photo closet in the new house. Which will help make it a home. 

Dave Miller

Back40 Design

President