Object #23: Black and White Shoes

I should really put these on a shelf and look at them. I just think they're gorgeous. They're not uncomfortable to stand in, but they are uncomfortable to walk in, so I never do. Ah, well.

Object #22: "Freedom and Man" Book

Freedom and Man = Illusion Due To Temporal Perception, m'kay? Moving on. . .

Object #21: "Essential Aurobindo" Book

Did somebody give this to me? I can't imagine that I would have bought it. In any case, I would argue that nothing from Aurobindo is "essential", as I haven't read a word of this and seem to be doing fine.

Object #20: Greek Philosophy Book

I have a BA in Philosophy, and with it, a whole lotta books. I don't even know where some of these came from. What I do know is: ancient Greek philosophy is unbearably boring.

Object #19: Mini Craft Kits

Got these doodads for my birthday. They're really cute. I don't need them. :)

Object #18: "Little Women" Book

What a great book. I hope the next person who reads it enjoys it as much as I did.

Object #17: Pin

More jewelry. I'm afraid this thing is going to be pretty repetative at times. . .

Object #16: Teddy Bear

This one sucks!

I am capable of forming ridiculous attachments to stuffed animals. It's crazy. It has got to stop. But, for now, just looking at this picture makes me seriously sad. She has had a hard life. Ten years ago she was a Halloween prop. She had a knife in her side. I couldn't bear (haha) to just let her be thrown out. So, I saved her, dressed her like a little teddy bear whore, and let her live in my bedroom. But she is one of three large teddy bears living there, and it's just too much. I have deeper sentimental attachments to the other two (yeah, I'm afraid I'm serious).

It's not because you don't deserve to be loved, Teddy! I'm so sorry! Whaaaaaah!

Object #15: Pink Purse

I wasn't sure I'd get rid of any bags during this project, 'cause I freakin' love them and I really do use them, but here I go giving up a second one already. Only because I got two for my birthday, but still!

Object #14: Yellow Bracelet

I've never found yellow to be particularly mellow.

Object #13: Flower Necklace

Isn't this pretty? Yeah, I don't really "do" pretty.

Object #12: Heart Earrings

My grandmother gave these to me, and I like them a lot. Just not on me.

Object #11: Prince Calendar

This is a calendar from 2000. :sigh:

The pictures are GREAT. But I think the day I'm so bored that I sit around looking at old calendars, even PRINCE calendars, I'll probably go ahead and get a hobby.

Object #10: Plastic Bracelet

Another "where did this come from?" object.

A rave? Did I get this in exchange for a solemn promise to call in three days? If so, "Twilight Moon", I do apologize.

Object #9: 1999 Vinyl

(sorry these vinyl pics are kinda blurry)

Ah, an easy one. This is a duplicate. The asounding thing is that I've had both for a WHILE. Why? Why didn't I immediately get rid of one when somebody gave me the second one? I mystify me.

Music is going to be an interesting part of this project. Or, avoiding making music the easy way out, I should say. I probably have 300 cds that I could digitize and let go of painlessly. If I start doing that instead of REALLY getting rid of stuff, please send me hate mail. Thanks.

Object #8: Disney Vinyl

I have some really random records. I decided I'm unlikely to ever actually put a needle to this one.

Object #7: Kitty Box

Another reason I keep shit: it's "useful". Even if I never use it.

This decorative box is another casualty of me ditching the office monkey gig. I used it to keep doodads (lotion, lip gloss, tea) handy at work. I no longer need it. Plus, it's Christmas themed and I'm an athiest. Gotta let it go.

Object #6: Slinky

I like toys. I do not like knick-knacks. Sometimes the line between these things is blurry.

This is a miniature slinky. When I was an office monkey, I kept it on my desk to keep my hands busy when I was listening to people on the phone drone on. Then, it was a toy. Now, if I were to keep it around, it would be a knick-knack. Have I mentioned that I hate knick-knacks?

Object #5: Keane Paintings

Check out Steve Keane. I ordered a couple of paintings from him after he was mentioned in the Slog, and as I guess he tends to do, he sent me a BUNCH of them. I've kept the ones I want, given some away, and have a stack still sitting here. Time to say goodbye. I'm going to offer a couple to my parents, and what isn't taken is going to the "free pile" in my building.

Yes, my building has a "free pile". It's like an ongoing free garage sale in the lobby. I love it.

Object #4: Brown Shoes

Oh my gawd, shoes. I love shoes, and I love having a lot of shoes, because few things annoy me more (other than, you know, war and famine, or whatever) than putting together a great outfit and lacking great shoes to go with it.

Unfortunately, I also have touchy little feet that would prefer to live in Birkenstocks. So, I own many pairs of adorable shoes that are never worn. This pair is actually less adorable than some, and I've kept them because they're pretty comfortable for being high-heeled mules. But. . . they're brown. I don't wear brown. Buh bye.

Object #3: "A Million Little Pieces" Book

Books or shoes. That was what I had to decide today. Do I want to get started on books or shoes. Two categories of stuff that I tend to hang on to with unfortunate tenacity.

I opted for books. Books are hard. The ones I love feel like friends to me. Seeing them reminds me of who I am. As I expect it will go with this project, I'm starting with the easier stuff, and I looked over my shelves and chose one of the easiest to let go of: "A Million Little Pieces". I have no particular connection to it; I only purchased it because it was too popular to get from the library within a reasonable amount of time. Off to Lifelong.

Object #2: Blue Shirt

One of my purposes in doing this blog is to consider the reasons that we hold on to stuff, even when we don't exactly want it. One of those reasons, for me, is: I paid good money for it! This shirt wasn't super cheap, and as it turns out, I don't really like it. It's boring (which was good while I had an office job, but I don't anymore), and the hem wrinkles. But I've held on to it for years. Until now!

Object #1: Mazatlan Bag

I've never been to Mazatlan. Why do I have this? Where did it come from? Who knows. But it will shortly belong to Lifelong AIDS Alliance.

The Project

I do love that Train song. Something about being happy does make it easier to let go of the things that have been holding us down.

Getting rid of stuff is fun for me. I have packrat genes in my family, and I have seen what happens when the inability to let go of Stuff takes over one's life. I want to have less of it.

The plan is to get rid of one item every day for a year, and document them here (with photos). There is a sort of sub-goal, which is not to entirely fill the empty space with new/different stuff. This project isn't really about anti-consumerism, though I appreciate such things. I'm sure I will aquire objects over the next year. But I hope it will be more thoughtful, and I hope that, at the end of the year, the reduced amount of stuff that I do have around me is more deliberate.

I haven't decided yet how I will get rid of things. It will have to be on a case-by-case basis. Mostly, I plan to give things away, via the Lifelong AIDS Alliance thrift store and/or Goodwill. I may sell a few things. A few sentimental items will probably go to family members, or back to the people who gave them to me. Things that are actual trash don't count, and none of these 365 objects will be tossed into the dumpster.

This could be interesting, or it could be like watching somebody clean their garage. I don't know. We'll see.

(Thank you: Creighton, for the camera. Dad, for the card reader. Apple, for making such fucking fantastic computers. Google, for rocking so hard...)

Give it away. . .

For Me, It's You
(Train)

If I ever find truth I'm gonna let you know
If I ever find faith I'm gonna sit in every bit of its afterglow
If I ever find a way to bring love here today
You better bet your life that this is what I'll say
Give it if you've got it
Get it if you don't

Take my hand in the meantime
And let's walk into the sunshine
Everybody got something that they want to sing about, laugh about, cry about
It's true
For me it's you

Give it away, give it away, give it away
If it's something that you got layin' round your house
Man let me tell ya if ain't a kiss
It's something that you'll never miss
Give it to somebody that don't have a thing layin' round, like a prayer or a sweet sound
Give it if you've got it
Get it if you don't

Take my hand in the meantime
Let's walk into the sunshine
Everybody got something that they want to sing about, laugh about, cry about
It's true
For me it's you

Give it to somebody that don't have a thing
Ain't got soft shoes to dance or a love song to sing, no
Get yourself on the right track
Let somebody ride your back for a while

If I ever find truth I'm gonna let you know
You better bet your life if this is what I'm gonna say:
Just give it away
You can't take it where you're goin anyway

Take my hand in the meantime
And let's walk into the sunshine
Everybody got something they want to sing about, laugh about cry about it's true
For me it's you