I haven’t mentioned Normal Friend in a while.
But I did channel her last Saturday.
I was decluttering a big pile of . . . ummm . . . stuff in the garage. There will be a post coming about that soon, but basically I was cleaning up scattered (and stacked and thrown) summer stuff on the first cool day we’ve had.
I came across a few single-summer-only items. Like this hat.
Summer before last, I started wearing big, embarrassing hats to the pool. I’ve always been a sunscreen-a-holic, but my face would still get very tan.
Since I’m pushing 40, I decided I was ready to sacrifice my summer vanity now for my year-round vanity later on.
Tranlated: I prefer to wear big pink hats now and hopefully avoid wrinkles later.
Besides, aren’t moms supposed to wear things that embarrass their kids?
I’ve yet to find a hat that lasts more than one summer.
It gets wet. It droops and fades. I splatter sunscreen on it.
And I’m pretty sure no one would buy this nasty thing at a thrift store.
So I threw it away.
I remembered Normal Friend saying that if she doesn’t know what to do with something she just throws it away. She doesn’t worry about finding a spot. She doesn’t stress that maybe some poor, hatless person will be searching thrift stores, desperate for a hat.
ANY hat.
She just throws it away. And doesn’t look back. And doesn’t even feel bad about it.
So I did too.
Though I do feel a little bit bad.
--Nony
Good for you! Getting to the place where you can just throw something away…with minimal guilt…is a good place to be. And if you really think no one will want it, the trash is the best place for it to go. I’m to the place where I don’t care anymore. If it’s good and I don’t need it, it goes to the Hospice store. If it’s not so good, it goes in the trash. I just want stuff I don’t need out of my house. In fact…I think I’m going to go throw a few things away right now…just for the heck of it. 🙂
Nony! I just threw out the SAME hat in olive green! same reason I get a hat, only I never wore mine!
It just stayed crumbled up in the bottom of my HUGE pool bag! good riddance!
OK, Nony…. I must admit – I DO buy hats at thrift stores – I LOVE to wears hats, I have ones for different seasons, different occasions, lots of PURPLE ones (that’s another story) AND I’m on a fixed budget now (that’s another story). I CAN afford an occasional hat purchase at a thrift store when I see an awesome hat, (and I know how to “treat” them since they are used) I really can’t ever spend the high prices of buying a new hat elsewhere ( $8 and up to $100!) SOOO I told you all that to tell you this… Congrats on tossing the hat!!! As a recovering hoarder who has learned how to choose carefully, you did the right thing. EVEN I WOULDN’T BUY THAT HAT!!! LOL Keep sharing, you’re always an inspiration!
Just yesterday I tossed a pair of pink Crocs as I was cleaning out the mudroom. At first, I was horrified at the thought of throwing away such a name-brand item, but when I looked at the situation realistically, I couldn’t believe that a thrift store (or a buyer) would want a pair of *dirty* shoes that are missing the lining, even though they’re a brand-name. So, out with the garbage! Here’s to tossing without remorse! 🙂
I wish I were a “normal” person and that was my first thought!
I am just getting to the place where I can just toss stuff without guilt. I like to think that I would donate stuff, but in reality stuff just gets put into a box that never makes it to a donate place. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Very inspiring. 🙂
I applaud. I would give a standing ovation, but I’m too lazy. 😉 I struggle mightily to throw ANYTHING away, always thinking that someone can surely use it, so I know exactly how you feel.
That would be so hard for me. I am just getting to the point where I am actively decluttering once a month and its still something I have to think about. Even then I am hesitant to throw anything I might use out. I can’t imagine throwing it away. One day I hope to be as awesome as that!
I guess this confirms that I am NOT anybody’s “normal friend”! I had to LOL at the “She doesn’t stress that maybe some poor, hatless person will be searching thrift stores, desperate for a hat.”
Because that is sooo me! It just kills me to throw something away that somebody, somewhere just MIGHT be able to use! lol.
I really need to move past that!
I’ve always gone into family/friend’s houses thinking “where do normal people put all their crap?! Trying to learn how to toss stuff. I posted a saying on my wall “If it doesn’t nourish my soul, get rid of it!”
I am past the guilt of “maybe someone needs this” and on to the guilt of “this will fill up the landfills and ruin the earth”. How do you get over that one???
Several schools near me have “textile bins” for used-up, worn-out, bad-shape textiles. The donations are processed with the re-usable part salvaged– like rubber soles on shoes– the rest is recycled for other uses. Bonus- the school gets a little bit of money for every pound donated.
Thank you for throwing the hat away. Too many things get donated that just shouldn’t be. I started using the qualifier that if I wouldn’t buy it, don’t donate it.