Could you give it all up? Would you?
I was checking one of my favourite sites over lunch (Mother Nature Network) and saw this article about a Belgian man who quit his regular job and life and, with his dog Lana, now is living in the woods:
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/he-quit-his-normal-life-go-live-woods
I admit it's tempting, the idea of chucking it all and starting a new life away from the absurdities we've created for ourselves in our consumer-driven, corporate-climbing world. Not that I have a passion for (or knowledge of) living in the bush, of course.
But I do feel a real pull right now to declutter and downsize, feel very strongly that all my "stuff" and responsibilities are a burden. (So if you're reading this, Mom, for god's sake, don't give me any craft or decor or other impractical items this Christmas; I can promise you they will go directly to Value Village and you will have wasted your money.)
I'll never be a minimalist, but I would like to have only things that are useful or that I truly don't want to be without.
What about you? Could you do something that drastic like chucking it all? Would you even want to? Are you attached to your "stuff" or do you find it all a burden?
Peace.
Comments
When I moved a year ago I gave away about half of my stuff. All my books, 90% of my dvds and cds and kept only what I loved. I didn't need 20 mugs when I lived alone and don't drink hot drinks.
julieq
I have only a few hardcover books left, I got rid of every paperback, something I couldn't have imagined a year ago. Now all my fiction is on my ereader or stored in the cloud.
As for CDs and DVDs, I donated at least half... But not 90%. That's fantastic, good for you. But I remember that you had to move and downsize. You seem to have made it work for you, Julie.
I've started the process of purging, and have a mental list of what I will take with me when I retire. The problem is everything ends up in the garage and I've yet to take it any further. When things slow down....
But I too have been removing things and giving them away. I would like less space to care for and am consciously thinking about that and what I would take and what I would leave.
As you know I inherited some things when Mum moved in with my brother. I have to deal with the guilt of getting rid of any of it! We do make regular runs to Bibles For Missions and drop off stuff.
I do love Peace Pilgrim. I have her book! Aaahhh, more stuff!
See you tomorrow.
Everything migrates to my garage too, until I get around to calling for pick up. :-)
Thank you for the suggestion - it has made me feel very much better. Now, to deal with my stash of fabric...
XO
I would say if you will reread a book, take it with you. If you'll never open it again, don't bother. I've gone from hundreds and hundreds of books to only a few hardcover ones, but that process has taken many years. I had favourite authors and had collected entire series of books...and finally, years later, they really didn't that much to me anymore. So you can't let go of anything until you're ready. :-)