Less is More

A Samoan house/fale.    

As usual, things came together perfectly in the end. I've had my car for sale for a few weeks, with no serious interest. Then as of Wednesday I had 3 interested parties. And the winner is...Bob, who flew in from Texas with cash in hand. Ironically, a couple of hours after we signed the paperwork, I got a 4th offer.

I had a moment as I sat in my functional but nondescript rental car, watching Bob drive "my" red convertible down the road. Seconds later, though, it felt great. No need to worry about what to do with a car I couldn't use for 27 months. No more insurance payments.

This morning I got up early and continued the final sorting/packing process. I made 4 piles of all my clothes: pack for Samoa; pack for storage; give away; throw away. Friends make fun of me because I not only am fine with wearing ratty old clothes, but I find it really hard to throw them away. Sure, they may be really faded, have a few tiny holes and may have bleach marks, but they're still perfectly functional, right? And, I only wear them around the house. Admittedly, friends might also be in the house and see me wearing them. When I announced to a group of friends that I was retiring (aka, tossing in the trash) two of my most worn items, it got a round of applause. It was hard today to toss them in the trash bag, but really, after 11 years of frequent wear, they've served me well and it's time for them to go.

It really does feel good to get rid of things that are just taking up space. I keep finding that out as I sort/clean out, then go back for another round, with a more critical/brutal eye.

Don't think I've gone crazy, though. My favorite shoes are coming with me to Samoa. Yes, they only cost a quarter. Yes, they've been favorites for several years. Yes, they're the Thai version of Jandals and I love them.