By Gilbert B. Elwyn

Spring is probably our favorite time of the year. The fresh scent of nature’s rebirth in the air is exhilarating. As far as we can see, Spring has only one drawback : Spring Cleaning.
We shall be among the first to admit that the house should be vacuumed at least once a year whether it needs or not and that the pile of January 2007 magazines should be recycled, no matter how intriguing those articles were which we never got around to reading.
Walter R. Brooks’ character Freddy the Pig always maintained that sights seen thru dingy streaky windows were always more appealing to the imagination than those seen through sparkling clean glass panes, but we do admit that when, looking out our windows, we think that every day looks like rain, liberal application of Windex and elbow grease is in order.
This year, blame it upon Leap Year or Mid-Life Crisis (that would be nice – “mid-life” would mean a life span of 114), we have thrown ourselves into the task at hand with unaccustomed enthusiasm. Not only are we cleaning, but we are sorting and throwing. What we like to call “de-bric-a-braccing.” (Comedian George Carlin once asked if you have a bric-a-brac shelf with only one item on it, is that a bric or a brac?)
This process is taking some time. We find ourselves unable to follow the adage, “If you haven’t used it in five years, then you probably don’t need it.” These are memories and dreams and hopes that we are wading through, each one deserving of consideration, of the one last chance to pique the fancy to reawaken a part of the soul.
Books and recordings are like old friends, and the truest of these companions remain on our shelves. Clothing is the sartorial equivalent of “comfort food.” If it feels good, it stays in our closet. Needless to say, we do draw the line with many of the 1970s styles.
We follow the same litmus test with every item we encounter. Do we like it? Is it important to us?
Amazingly, this simple act of “de-bric-a-braccing” of our house has lead naturally into a similar personal evaluation. We are finding this much more beneficial and hope it to be longer lasting than many years of broken New Year’s resolutions and Lenten pledges.
At least it will be if by October we don’t “Fall Back.”

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