To Keep or Not to Keep

I'm no stranger to purging my closet (or my apartment).

Just recently I gave away a file cabinet and sold a suitcase.

But, still, I am conflicted.

I like stuff. Well, I should qualify that.

I like reasonable quality stuff and have a habit of

picking up stuff in department store discount sales 

or vintage shops. I have long since stopped

buying cheap clothes and shoes. It's an

ethical thing and a quality thing.

Better stuff lasts longer.

Oooh! Shoesies!

But the conflict comes in when I feel like I shouldn't

have so much stuff. I like the look and feel of 

minimalism. Those clear, uncluttered, perfectly decorated

houses/apartments. Those people who can somehow be

happy with 13 items in their closets. Those other

people who manage to get through life with just one

outfit. I just can't do that. I want to. But I can't.

I'm certainly not a hoarder. As evidenced by regular bouts

of "get rid of all this extra stuff!" purging. I've managed

to let go of a lot of my stuff since my most recent move.

So why does it feel like it isn't enough?

Why do I feel like I'm drowning in stuff?

Because, truthfully, I probably am drowning in stuff.

However, I also have a very small apartment in which to 

keep all of my stuff. If I moved into a more normal sized

apartment, I'm sure it wouldn't seem so cluttery.

I do own a lot of shoes, but I wear and 

enjoy them all at some point throughout the year.

When I realize that I have fallen out of love

 with a pair, I let them go.

Yes, I have several coats, but I live in a the midwest.

Either it's freezing or meltingly hot. So I need sandals and

snow boots. I need warm pants, sweaters, and socks for half the year;

and tank tops, shorts, and swimming gear for the rest of it.

The pets need their stuff. The bird cage takes up a lot of

space, but where else can the parrot sleep safely? The turtle

gets a chunk of the real estate in the kitchen, but an

aquatic turtle can't be let loose to run free in an

apartment. Plus, they need food and cleaning

supplies and toys. 

The books, CDs, concert posters, Mardi Gras beads, and all of my musical

instruments take up the rest of the space. That's it really. 

(yes, yes, the obligatory kitchen and bathroom stuff too)

Am I done letting go of stuff? Probably not.

As time goes on I will probably acquire things and lose things

and sell things and give stuff away. And I'll probably continue

waging the inner battle between my desire for minimalism

and owning nice things. 

The real conflict occurs like this:

 I need ITEM X, but I want the name brand, designer version of ITEM X.

(It should be said that the higher-end ITEM X's have served me 

far better than any of the cheap, poorly made ITEM X's 

I've purchased in the past.)

I'm sure there's a compromise somewhere.