Do you live a minimalist lifestyle, or have you thought about it? I used to embrace minimalist living, but then I got… a lot of stuff.
All my stuff fit in my car
When I graduated from college, I had nearly nothing. Everything I owned fit into my Honda Civic, which suited me just fine.
I basically had no stuff, and I was proud of it.
I didn’t even know about the minimalist living at that time. But yet, I was a minimalist.
Throughout college, I stayed in the dorms and student apartments, which had beds. Looking back, I don’t want to think about how dirty those mattresses were…
But at least I had no bulky furniture to carry around.
Growing up, I didn’t have a TV in my room. We played outside a lot, and I read books.
A large TV sat in the living room, and I watched it sometimes out of boredom. On Saturday mornings, we played Nintendo, and that’s when it got used the most.
Just the basics
All my clothes fit in one large laundry basket.
You know… the plastic rectangular kind with four handles… big enough to carry two bushels of apples… tough enough to throw down the stairs and survive unscratched.
I liked clothes but grew up wearing my favorite outfits until they ran ragged.
I played hard on the streets and earned this hole in my pants—this badge of honor. So, there probably wasn’t a need for so many clothes.
They hung around the closet like close friends.
I had nothing else except for a Caboodles makeup case and beauty items, some painting and drafting tools, a sewing machine and fabric, reading books, and a couple of pots and pans—basic stuff.
Everything I owned fit in my car. Now, that’s minimalist living.
Minimalist traveling
I felt free—actually, I was free.
With no stuff to hold me down, I went on road trips, bounced from place to place, and slept in my car if needed.
I traveled near and far with minimal items. The small suitcase I carried had a lot of space.
Did I really pack two weeks’ worth of clothes in this thing? Unbelievable.
If I had known about living and traveling in a van, I would have done it back then for sure!
Then I got stuff
As I started my career path, I bought stuff. Well… now I could actually afford to buy things.
And as my career changed, so did my need for different trinkets. I got fancy pencils and pens, more clothes, fancy shoes, and tons of books.
Gadgets, accessories, office supplies, sewing stuff, gardening tools, sheet music, and instruments filled my house. I needed containers and boxes to organize it all.
Goodbye minimalism!
Years passed and many of my shiny new objects just collect dust.
When I owned less, life was so much easier. The echoes bouncing off the walls of my empty home made me smile.
And more stuff
Don’t get me wrong—I cherish my stuff and all the dollar-store holiday gifts. Something deep inside tells me to hold onto things.
But I cannot hold onto everything.
I love the trinkets on my shelves—those will stay. And the little nicknacks people have given me from trips to Hawai’i, Brazil, France, and Japan.
No, I won’t give those away…
Maybe some of it can go? Where?
Into the arms of a careless person who won’t cherish my amazing things hand-selected by… dang…
Now, what was the name of that person who gave me this… thingy?
No more minimalist living
Ok, I’m pretty sure I can get rid of some things… Or will I need this stuff later?
No one has touched that pencil grip in the last twelve years. Am I really going to need it after stashing it away in my drawer for over a decade?
Perhaps—I will. I debate with myself. No one is winning.
Should I keep it or donate it? Will it end up in a massive junk pile anyway? Is it recyclable? Can someone else use it?
Ugh… Can I go back to minimalist living? Life was so much easier when I didn’t have all this stuff.
Updated: October 28, 2024
