I’ve been on a minimalist kick of sorts the past 8 months or so. Not so much of a kick but more of a try-to-wing-chun-kick-it-but-rolled-my-ankle so I made some progress and then gave up. Not actually gave up, just lazy. Which is my default position for anything now that I think about it. Really, why do something when you can…not? It’ll be there tomorrow.

My half-assed method to get rid of stuff is a two-step process. The slower, worst way is to load clothes and other shits in garbage bags/boxes and then leave it in my way for months and months and if I’m being honest, over a year. Next, after being sufficiently annoyed with stepping over it or around it is to take it to Goodwill or just throw it in the trash. Which is one way to do it, just not a good way.

The better, whole-assed way and more exciting way to do it is to get drunk as hell when I have people over and just give away shit. Which works out mostly well but really, who wants someone else’s shit? Turns out, a lot of people do!

The impetus behind me wanting to have less shit is that I’ve been getting a little anxious about having a lot of shit. Either the books I’ve been reading or my new emphasis on spending my money on doing shit versus having shit. The best way to do that is to not have shit and not buy more. Shit’s so simple I should trademark it – “Don’t buy the shit, you’ll just get drunk and give away the shit™.”

Which is great advice for me but there’s still the problem of me buying shit when drunk. Somehow I’ve quit doing that done way less of it on Amazon and GORUCK that last year. But say you buy the shit, then you’ve had time to use it and don’t need it anymore, what then? Give that shit away? That works but there’s still the matter of the potential for waste. Which I guess is the crux of the matter. So now before I buy something I’ll make sure I want to use it for a while and if so, use the shit out of it.

The waste part though, that’s been bugging me as I’ve gotten older – basically one foot in the grave. Not that I have a palace or a ton of accumulated items. My apartment I am working on paring it down to fewer things currently.

“Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.”

Which is nice in theory (and movie quotes) but when you look at that video clip, part of it is the truth. Same with people who have been through a fire, hurricane or tornado. Of all the interviews I’ve seen, the people say they miss their family pictures or other mementos of good times and not “I miss my Playstation” or “fancy dinnerware” or “nice t-shirt collection.” That shit matters until it doesn’t. Which, thankfully, I’m learning now instead of in 30 years.

So I’ve been thinking about my possessions and what I’d want to keep if my place went up in flames or…down in flames (You can tell me when it’s over/If the high was worth the pain). Honestly just paperwork (passport, ssn card, a couple of other things) and I realize I don’t need most of my shit, in that sense. I want to live my life like this but with less bank-robbery-lifestyle and more of a no-attachment-to-material-possessions-lifestyle-and-oh-yeah-it-costs-money.

I’m not there yet but I’m working on it…tomorrow.