If I Just Had More Stuff...

   

    I watched an excellent movie called Into The Wild . It is written and directed by Sean Penn and it's the true story of  top student and athlete Christopher McCandless who abandons his possessions, gives his life savings of $24,000 to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. No money and just the clothes and pack on his back. The movie makes quite a statement about consumerism and what human beings require for happiness.

   I hate the word but for lack of a better one I've always been somewhat of a minimalist. That having been said I started thinking about all the money I've squandered over the years on impulse purchases. Boots and shoes never worn, colognes never sprayed, CD's never listened to or having only one good song on them, shirts and jackets left hanging in the closet, bric a brac that  ends up collecting dust, it must be in the thousands of dollars. At the time of purchase I've convinced myself (almost) that I will wear this, listen to it, use it or look at it but invariably my neurosis gets the best of me and I have to rid myself of it either to friends or the laundry room in my building (that doesn't work with tattoos). My Dad once said to me," Your mother has "it's only $19 dollared" us to the tune of $250,000." 

   To use my friend Stephanie's word I've always had an "aversion" to clutter and too much stuff. I don't like going to Costco and buying 48 rolls of toilet paper and a large six pack of Comet I'm going to have for ten years(not the toilet paper). I recently used up a large roll of Handi-Wrap I bought in 1997... finally. When shopping I've tried the logic of ,"Do I need this or do I want it ?" The answer usually comes back a resounding, "Oh yeah, I need it." Suure. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that this movie seemed to have a profound effect on me (we'll see about that). Immediately after I watching it I did another closet and cupboard cleanse and scaled my wardrobe down to the stuff I actually wear. It's not like I even try to keep up with fashion trends, I generally stick with the classics, they can never go out of style 'cause they were never in style. I only wish that becoming an "enlightened minimalist" hadn't been so bloody expensive.