I have been reading a lot lately about people who are choosing to have very few possessions and very few wardrobe pieces. They feel that by having less possessions to maintain, less clothing to maintain, less housing space to maintain that the time they get is greater, and so is the quality of their lives.
I have existed on as little as a carry on bag before, and as much as a full household. The idea of less is greatly appealing. How could we not want to have less things to take care of?
But, then I read of the people who own "Less than one hundred things" and similar, and I grow confused. Do toiletries count? How about hygiene essentials? Toilet paper? Paper towels? The list goes on and on.
I am reminded of a small flat that I rented in Paris. The manager made it a point to tell us that he was bringing toilet paper when he brought the keys to the apartment. We were so exhausted and arriving at such an odd hour that the small gesture of not having to go into the shops to get toilet paper was one that meant the world to us later.
I have been thinning the herd on clothing, though. If I don't love it and don't need it, I find a new home for it. I held onto dresses, waiting for the perfect weight. Coats for cold enough weather. Skirts for them to come back into fashion. Ridding myself of these weights made me happier because I no longer held onto disappointments. I think that is what I am bringing from the movement of downsizing. If I don't love it, I get rid of it. Of course, this is not practical in all areas of life. I may not love the wallpaper in the place that I live in, but it serves no purpose to get rid of it, and soon enough, I will be gone from the boring or awful wallpaper, and onto my next adventure.
The ugly boots that have served me well through the past nine years are so comfortable and broken in that the thought of getting rid of them for something else makes me sad. They have been to different continents with me. Even though they are not stylish, they are functional. That alone makes me love them. They fit me at the end of the day as well as they do at the beginning. I can pile socks on, and these boots accommodate the socks without making my feet feel jammed in. The idea of less possessions has served to make me evaluate everything that I own, and appreciate the things that I do choose to keep. That alone is awesome.
