Simply City Simplicity: The Discipline of "Shedding"

I happened to come across the TV show called Hoarders when I was at my parents' house the other day and in those few minutes of watching it, I was a bit shocked by what I saw, but after some thought, not that surprised.  People actually become trapped and bound to their stuff, their possessions.  I can see this tendency in myself at times because I love thrift store and vintage items so much, and I just want to collect all of these lovely items that I appreciate.  Obviously, Hoarders is the extreme of what happens to us when we develop a pathology with our possessions.

Over the course of the past several years, I've had to move homes several times.  It amazed me how much stuff one person can acquire over the years.  How did I get so much stuff??  I felt this need to "shed," to get rid of things more and more, to ultimately to make more space in my life and embrace simplicity.  More space physically, but in some ways emotionally and spiritually even.

The latest move about two and a half years ago prompted the biggest shedding so far, and subsequent sheddings while living here in this current home since moving in.  Since I moved into a house that was already furnished, I had to get rid of nearly all of my furniture as I only needed furniture in my room.  With mixed feelings, I "permanently loaned" all of my furniture to different folks in my community who needed it.  And two and a half years later, I'm thankful as I don't miss the stuff at all, and don't even remember what I had.

I'm thankful that I have a small room so I won't be tempted to fill it with more stuff.  It's just my bed, a dresser, and a two level book-shelf.  It has created space to heal, to grow, to learn, to rest, to be creative, and much more.

It is a discipline to stop collecting stuff, and not to hoard.  But once we experience the benefits and FREEDOM from stuff into simplicity, it's harder to go back.  The blessings of simplicity from shedding far outweigh the burden and bondage of too much stuff!  This is especially freeing living in a city like Los Angeles, where there are a lot of people and their stuff packed into smaller spaces.  We are in closer quarters living in the city.

So here is an offering, a couple of ways that I've been able to get into the rhythm of shedding and simplicity:

• On the move shedding:  When you move homes, this is a great opportunity to shed.  I have put things into three piles while packing for my moves.

1. One pile is stuff to throw away and/or recycle, stuff that is just junk and will never be used by others.  This includes old papers, knick knacks that are essentially worthless, and things that can't be used or worn anymore by anyone else. 
2. The second pile is stuff to give away to the thrift store.  Self-explanatory, but this is all stuff that I'm not using, I have not used in a long time, or maybe never used and someone else can use!  Just get rid of it and let others make use of it!
3. The third pile is obviously stuff that I plan to pack and keep.

• Once a year "spring" cleaning:  I've taken advantage of holidays like today where I carve out time and energy from the weekend to GET THIS DONE.  I go through my stuff the same way I do with move shedding as listed above.  Usually, I focus on one problem area that needs to be tackled like my closet, or maybe the garage.  It may be too overwhelming to think about ALL of the stuff that needs to be gone through.  Focus on one area at a time.  If it means going through just one box of stuff at a time, then do that!

This discipline of shedding can be easier said than done.  It may help to have someone help you with some tough love, someone who is already disciplined in this area of their lives and can help you get rid of stuff by walking you through it.  Sometimes it's just helpful to have someone there to just hang out and sit with you while you sort through stuff.

I'll offer one last thing.  Most recently, I did a major shedding this past year in our garage where I stored the last of my old kitchen items.  I hadn't touched the stuff since I moved in two years ago, and when I tackled it, I mercilessly got rid of all of the kitchen stuff that I didn't even remember that I had.  I realized that if I didn't miss it, I didn't need it.  So much freedom from having more space physically, emotionally, and spiritually!!

More offerings on shedding, simplicity, and simply city to come.  Peace.

A Way to Shed: Clothing Swap!

Back again from the half-dead!  Man, I heard that the strain of flu was particularly bad this year, and that the flu shot was not as effective against it since it was a mutated form or something.  But now I know for real that it was THAT bad because I wouldn't wish that kind of sickness on my worst enemy!  Slowly but surely, I'm coming back to life.  While I was laying there sick, thinking about doing this blog post, but couldn't muster up the energy to do it, I really wanted to, I promise!

So, I'm doing this sort of backwards because I wanted to post about the discipline of "shedding" first, and then talk about the clothing swap, but well, that's neither here nor there.  

The lovely ladies from Church of the Redeemer here in South LA have been doing a clothing swap about quarterly for the last few years now.  I loved the idea of swapping clothes and how it is an eco-friendly, sustainable way of getting clothes in a community.  And it's free!  Props to these ladies for letting me show up to the swap and take photos of them fully clothed, and NOT while they were changing!  :-)

Like all of the world's institutions, there is brokenness and corruption.  The fashion industry in not exempt from this in general as they participate in mass production of clothes that ultimately contribute to waste, and is associated with exploitation of their workers to keep costs down, to just name a few things that are wrong with the fashion industry.  Clothing swaps in communities, or shopping in thrift stores are wonderful alternative ways to get "new" clothes that you need!

Here's how it started, all of the clothes laid out and displayed, ready to be swapped.  Doesn't it look lovely?

There were clothes, and other items like books, accessories, and some jewelry!  Check it.  

So I wasn't fully paying attention because I was so excited about being at the swap, that I didn't catch the rules very clearly.  I think in the beginning, the ladies decided to have a short time frame where they would only pick five items each.  Here they are explaining the rules that I wasn't paying attention to.

And then, they're off!  Swapping away, getting their first five items!

After the time frame of getting their five items, I think the rules relaxed, and people could then pick from the whole lot what they needed or wanted.  Here are some shots of these lovely ladies trying on their cute items!

Dear Sarah Stokes-meister

Cute Steph Payne-ster

Miss Nanc Fern enjoying her "new" swapped book!

Jenn Pope-ster rocking some fun colors!

JLyrical hanging out bohemian style!

Amy Kimbel-meister leaving happily full from the swap.

Candice Cleverleigh blinging her "new" clutch!  She makes the most awesome faces, I tell you.

Even though, I didn't participate in the swap, I was generously allowed to partake, so I came home with a some items that I'm glad to have, like a pair of cozy brown corduroy pants, a lacy top (you will soon see that I cannot resist cute lacy tops, or lacy anything for that matter), some lovely Thymes brand lotion, a new toothbrush, a CA state belt buckle, a pair of silver armadillo earrings, and two daisy seed planting kits, which I am excited to add to my sacred space balcony garden (more on that project later!) and I think that's it!

And the icing on the cake was the end result which was a very large pile of remaining clothes and items to be donated to the Sonshine Shop Thrift Store!  

There you have it!  Now, go do a clothing swap of your own in your own group of friends and communities!  Go "shed" all of those clothes you have not worn in a while, and maybe will never wear, and swap them with your friends!  And then, give the leftovers to the Sonshine Shop Thrift Store, located at 1971 S. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA  90007.  Peace!