Clothes maven: My almost 30 years of business living had provided me with a closet full of two and three piece suits, dresses for different occasions, a rainbow of blouses, a drawer full of panty hose, at least eight pairs of dress and casual shoes, a jewelry box full of earrings and pins and watches - and that was just for work. I also had my weekend attire of jeans, shorts, and warm-ups, t-shirts, polo shirts, and running shoes. Of course, all of this (business and casual) was in fat and thin sizes, depending on my pre- or post-diet status.
Collections: For the last 20 years I had collected things: over 100 snow globes that now filled a complete glass display case, over 150 mugs that stretched across the buffet shelf in the dining room, books of various genres that filled three bookcases in the den and two bookcases in the home office. Those collections joined Maggie's collections of troll dolls, video games, guitars, and other hobbies.
How could I make my life more simple and uncluttered? Like my penchant for organization, the process of simplification also had to be simple and orderly and efficient.
I read a couple of books and magazine articles, taking the best ideas from what I read. I did alot of soul-searching: Could I part with the "things" that each meant something important at the time of their acquisition? Did I care what others thought about how I looked? Was it important for me to wear a business "uniform" to be successful - the old "dress for success" standard? Was there enough value (either monetary or sentimental) in these things, such that they actually defined me, and would diminish my own value if they were no longer a part of my life? Almost every day brought me an epiphany on these questions. The result was a transformation that is still in process, but has made a phenomenal difference in my body, mind, spirit, and emotion.
Clothing: Men (at least the majority of "common", non-GQ men living here in the Southwest) have it best: they have one pair of dress shoes, maybe two; one dress suit, maybe two, that they wear for special occasions only; shirts that double as dress shirts and work shirts; polo shirts; and limited accessories. If they could get away with wearing the same t-shirt every evening after work for a week and through the weekend, they would. They don't want to have to match socks and shirts. I liked that - I liked that very much. So I decided on a basic wardrobe that would fill one small rack each season, and from which I could select my clothes to wear without thinking:
- pants only (no skirts and therefore no panty hose);
- my pants would have to match a limited number of tops (blouses and plain tops), so I settled on two pairs of black trousers and one pair of simple plaid light-wool trousers;
- four or five tops/blouses per season, in a rotation, with three or four sweater sets for the winter and three or four polo shirts for the summer;
- black trouser socks - I could grab a pair from the sock drawer and they would automatically match whatever I was wearing for the day;
- three pairs of shoes: one pair of black walking shoes for work and special occasions, one pair of white walking shoes for the evening and weekend, and one pair of slippers;
- no jewelry except my watch - in the last year I began wearing my own beaded earrings, since I sell them, and Maggie gave me some special earrings - but I have kept those to a few pairs in one small display.
So simple! I love it! I packed up my suits and dresses and shoes and jewelry and took them to the thrift shop - that year's charitable donation was phenomenal!
Things: The collections are still on display, but I have not added to them. Sometimes a friend will give me a snow globe for Christmas, but for the most part, the snow globe and mug collections have not grown. Now when I am asked what I want for my birthday, I ask for experiences that will result in memories that I will keep forever - a special dinner or lunch, a special concert, a day-trip or picnic. following the tips in the simplification books, I boxed up my books and other things and put them in unmarked boxes in the garage. After a year, since I hadn't needed anything in them, the boxes went to Goodwill.
I am grateful for the simple life I live now: for the people who love me and want my company for who I am, not for what I wear or how I look; for the limited but meaningful things I possess; for the memories embedded in my everyday experiences; for the job that allows me to make a difference in my community, without requiring me to wear a corporate uniform. Such is my new simple but passionate life.
3 comments:
Hi, Pat. This blog is very inspiring, especially for me, since I have always been a pack-rat, and being a child of the depression, I want to save everything for a rainy day.
Last year, I became a secular Carmelite. I made a promise of poverty. This promise includes a lot of different things, but to me, it made me realize that I needed to stop worrying about needing to keep so much stuff.
I started by getting rid of several bags of clothes, and other stuff. I had a garage sale this spring. I only made about $50.00, but got rid of more stuff. I donated all the left over stuff to Arc.
I've still got lots of things to get rid off, but it's still a struggle for me. My son, Richard has no problem with getting rid of stuff, so maybe I'll ask him to help me with ridding myself of unused things. Wish me luck! Mary Ann
Hi Pat, it works I'm still learning how to use this computer so I figured I was doing something wrong. Well in regards to your blog I have to say I will never be organized its not in my vocabulary but if you come over my house there will always be a little disorganization but so much love around I can't throw anything away and much more now my grandkids bring me pictures which I can't throw out so I guess beware someday when my brain will think about organization I shall do that but thats nice to know someone is doing that. If you want organization go to one of my girls house Grandma Estella big time.
Hi,there. Was that Peggy too on that last blog? I remember how Mom (Grandma Estella) was always so organized. I think she learned that from Grandma Filomena.
A couple of years before Mom died, she asked me when I was going to start getting rid of the stuff I had around. I explained to her that a great deal of those things belonged to others. My kids left lots of stuff around when they left. My husband liked to save things as well. So after he died, I spent months going thru file cabinets trying to decide what to save, and what to get rid of. I would put out bag after bag of paper for recycling. I spent hours, and went through 2 paper shredders to make sure I wasn't throwing out sensitive stuff.
Just last month I emptied out two boxes of Matol brochures, and even found lots of Civitan stuff that are pretty valuable (new member pins, patches, etc.). These can be used, but unfortunately most cannot be used, so I threw them out. Another thing that no one wants are old school books. Used book stores don't want them, so I lugged a few to Family Thrift Store. What a job! I still have closets to go through. If anyone would like some of Mom's stuff, please come by and see what kind of a find you can come up with! Most of her clothes are now gone, but there is a box of little stuff that might have sentimental value, I don't know. Thanks again, Pat for helping me find more reasons for getting rid of all this stuff. Love, Mary Ann
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