Slim! Down! Fast!!

You thought this was going to be about losing weight, right? Well, it kind of is. It’s about losing all that extra weight your home is carrying around from all the things you keep stuffing into it. Ask yourself, “Will anyone I know be happier if I keep all this stuff?”

Here’s my thought:

My Ode to Less Stuff

I’m living in a tiny apartment furnished with dumpster-diving treasures. Two mangled wicker chairs needing a bit of debugging and a rusted metal table with an equally rusted matching chair. I sleep on an air mattress in a bare bedroom. And there is no svelte, smarty-pants TV. Mine is a stocky, remoteless reject from a friend.

I do spring for a lighted palm tree that stands alone in the center of the living room. Come Christmas, I deck the tree out in festive bling. Not wanting the palm to be alone for the Holidays, I invite some special friends to keep it company. A flock of plastic pink flamingos stand one-legged around the tree. Red and green Christmas mufflers wrapped round their long necks.

Why the skimpy furnishings? Two years before, I’d sold all my belongings—a home and thirty years of collected treasures—and headed for graduate school in London, where I would likely be the oldest student. Once back in the US with a deflated bank account, that lighted palm, those dumpster discards, and the inflatable mattress were all I could afford. It was glorious.

Now, back in the chips, I have “stuff” again. Proper stuff that needs dusting and polishing. Enough kitchen stuff to overflow a dishwasher. A willowy TV that snaps to attention when I give it verbal commands. And, at Christmas, in the center of my posh digs is a traditional tree piled high with stuff I’m giving to family and friends.

I’m sure these same folks thought I was off my nut when they saw icicles and baubles hanging from the lighted palm tree surrounded by a flock of plastic flamingos, but I can’t remember when I’ve ever felt merrier at Christmas. And the greatest gift that year? Simply living with very little “stuff.”

Note to Self: May just celebrate New Year’s by clearing out some “stuff” to make room for more “happiness.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feel free to comment below or leave a comment on the Global Cowgirl Facebook page. Also, check out my book Stories from a Global Cowgirl… “Don’t Put a Cat on Your Head!” Available on Amazon