Going Where This Woman Has Never Gone Before

Today is historic in a small, mostly insignificant way. For the first time in my life, I boxed up clothing I have literally not worn in years, labeled the contents, and put it all into the back of my truck for delivery to the CVRM, a charity to which I donate regularly. For many people, culling the closets is an on-going activity, but for me, a senior raised by parents who lived through the Great Depression, everything is kept because ... you never know when you are going to need it. Or, in my case, lose enough weight to wear again.

Approximately 3 dozen nice jeans, ranging in sizes between 10 and 16, are in the boxes. I kept my favorite 6 pairs, along with an assortment of pull-on pants, and boxed all the other pants. Ditto shirts and blouses, some of which have stains on them that I ignored after I had already pulled the blouse on and was ready to walk out the door before I realized the stain was there. Belts? I kept two, just in case ... you never know! Sox? I kept about 3 dozen and boxed the other thousands of sox in the drawer that was bulging to the point of not shutting. Stockings? Really: when was the last time anyone wore stockings? T-shirts, underwear, and nightgowns are packed, ready for delivery. I purged shoes when I converted my closet to a built-in, tossing out everything with a heel that required stockings. Finally, the 3 huge bags filled with "winter" sweaters are on the way to the needy at the shelter as my "winter" sweaters are actually my everyday shirts paired with either a zippered hoodie or a winter coat. Tacky? Yes, but that's living in the desert.

Everything that remains is hung properly or folded and stored by color. Monkish, huh?

Separation anxiety is pulling me to think about what I'm doing before I make it final, but I know there will be some relief once all this stuff is out of the house. I'm also boxing up extra office supplies and taking them for the children. I've already boxed up old video tapes and donated hardcover books to the local libraries, so I'm almost to the point of having made it through each of the major rooms in the house. When dotter was here for T'giving, I opened the Y2K emergency supplies I purchased from the church, so those boxes are also gone. The food items went into the trash, but the non-perishables are going to the shelter with the clothing.

And that's the way it is in my little corner of the world today as I walk an unfamiliar path through conspicuous consumption, which I prefer to the more common term, hoarding!