Do our closets say something about us?

There comes a point in everyone's lives when you have to face your inner demon...known as your closet. I'm referring to one's actual closet, the one we throw all our junk in with just enough room for our clothes and etc. Today was that day for me, to look my closet in the eyes and finally get to cleaning it. Normally I do this once every couple of years, so let's just say it was very cluttered and messy, although not enough to be featured on an episode of Hoarders.

As I was cleaning my closet I found a lot of stuff that I had forgotten about. I noticed there was a lot of comic book paraphernalia like: comic books, posters, graphic novels, figures, etc. It got me thinking to how it all ended up there anyway. I realized it got there once I fell out of the whole comic book scene. As I was sorting through it all I couldn't throw out any of it for good, not even comics with ripped or stained covers. Throwing out any comic book would feel almost sacriligious. I felt guilty for letting my once beloved collection end up as disgarded memories, but I realized all my stuff was there for a reason. It was comforting to know that it was right there in the closet in my room, albeit burried, yet still in close proximity. I mostly put all the random books and issues into boxes, but for the big and fancy stuff I decided to display them in my room.

Along with my comic stuff I found guitar hero guitars, old dvd's, and super out dated clothes that I would never wear today- especially because they were 10 sizes too small. As I looked at the pile shrink, I realized this closet described who I am and what I like perfectly. It had things that you'd have to get to know me to find and things that you can learn just from meeting me. My life isn't the most organized which I guess the mess could explain. But one thing's for sure...we always stay the same on the inside. Our closet represents our past, our present, and the space for our future. Yet, I wondered, in our closets, are we burying our past....or just protecting it?
---Luke Widlund