We may own the dirtiest car in our neighborhood, a fact that causes me to hang my head in shame, but our garage is the cleanest. It’s true. We actually park a car and a truck in there, and we can even walk around them.

The kids have officially moved out, but you know how that goes. We had garage sales with some of their left-behinds, but we must have missed a few, because they have replicated. The surplus is neatly stacked. Our shelves are full. the rafters are full, and our bicycles hang from a beam. People stare as they walk by. They could be looking at the road gunk on my hatch back, but I think they are stunned to witness a garage used in such an orderly manner.

We could increase our square footage by converting the garage into more living space, as others have done before us. Then our vehicles would perch in the driveway, and we wouldn’t be able to ignore their state of cleanliness as easily. What goes in the garage is usually ignored until you need it.