October 06th, 2017

Back to culling.  It's this whole zen ish sort of thing. Making your life simpler by having less  "stuff".  About not defining yourself by the amount of "stuff" you manage to accumulate in your lifetime.  I don't disagree with it.  "Stuff" can hold you back, tie you down and complicate your life unnecessarily.  Less "stuff" makes our lives easier and sets us free. 

However, I'm not a minimalist really. I have pictures on top of the big old cabinet in the living room, tchotchkes in the bookcases with the books, an entire shelf of vases in the pantry, a treasure box of shells on the bottom shelf of an end table in the family room and we all know that my Christmas tree looks like Christmas threw up all over it.  It definitely looks like people life here. This is not a museum, an art gallery or a model home.  The idea is to have less "stuff" not no "stuff.

I've been putting off going through my clothes and shoes for awhile. In fact, I've managed to not go through the guest closet (where I stashed a lot of it) for well over a year now. Procrastinater extraordinaire!  But yesterday I got the urge to at least begin.  I started with shoes.  I don't know anyone who wears my size shoe. Nobody else in the family does at least. And it's a shame.  I hate the thought of just throwing out some really good quality shoes. So instead I decided to donate whatever I managed to part with.

And how on earth did I manage to accumulate so many?  With the exception of the hiking boots of course, these are all "work" shoes.  Well, y'see, my foot size hasn't changed and I worked for a long time in a professional environment where I wore heels nearly every day.  Over the years, when you buy decent quality shoes and take good care of them, all of a sudden you wake up one day and you have this. It's not as if I had hundreds of pair after all but this is a nice bakers dozen.

My life now doesn't require this many shoes or even this kind of shoe honestly.  I think I have worn heels twice in the past 16 months.  Which means I could probably get away with keeping just one pair for high heel wearing occasions. But you know that's not going to happen.  I did get serious though.  I tried them all on and walked around the house with them. (which looked pretty funny with my shorts and my sandal tan,  I'll tell ya!)

There is something alluring about a good pair of high heels, whether they be strappy sandals, pumps, open toed,  sling backs, gladiator or anything else. We walk differently in them.  We stand differently in them.  Once a person has mastered the fine art of walking properly in them, there is a level of confidence attached. People treat you differently when you are wearing high quality clothes and shoes with confidence.  And in my case, I'm taller. I love being taller.

So after much consideration and no small amount of regret, this is what I ended up with.  A half dozen pair of heels. Okay, it's not a huge amount of progress but it's still a step forward.  (forgive the near pun)  I can wear heels with skirts, slacks, dresses or even jeans   Yes people, heels can even make a pair of jeans look dressy.  So if we go out to dinner or to the theatre, both of which we have been known to do, I can put on any of these shoes even with a pair of jeans and I am good to go.  With a nice top of course, not a ratty old tee-shirt. 

Some day I may whittle it down even more but for now, this is good.  I kept both pair of black heels because I couldn't decide between them.  The red ones are because, well they are red.  Red shoes are sassy and snazzy and sometimes that is exactly how I feel.  Red shoes are the bampow of a wardrobe.  Couldn't get rid of the red ones.  The two neutrals (beige and bronze) well one is basically a high heeled sandal (for warm weather) the other is a closed toe sling back for cooler weather.  Good basic wardrobe design...neutral...goes with virtually everything.  The sparkly ones?  Well one never knows. I might need to attend a movie premiere or an awards ceremony or some other black tie affair.  Hey, it could happen!  And I am prepared!  The hiking boots are well, for hiking of course. I've been known to hike.

So the rest I boxed back up, loaded them up in the car and immediately drove them to Goodwill before I changed my mind.  The shelf in the guest closet has more room now, which was at least part of the point of this exercise.  The other part was streamlining my life.  Getting rid of anything unnecessary.  And you just have to trust me on this, black patent leather Cole Haan Heels are absolutely necessary.