It’s probably just me, but you ever got all your laundry done, finally cleared out the utility room, got the whole lot ironed, and realised you don’t actually have the cupboard space to put it all?
Dirt and excess.
I’ve often thought about a year’s project based on Matthew 6 where I’d aim to give away half of my possessions. Half the number of shirts. Half the number of CDs. Half the number of Macs. But to be honest I just don’t know where to start.
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8 responses to “Two Shirts | Excess”
Kester,
really enjoyed your book! I found it prophetic in voice and insightful in observation. It’s tone reverberated with the passion of a Pentecostal preacher but in the language of philosopher scholar.
Anyhow…
Excess…
Recently I’ve been considering the same thing. I was stirred by the realization that most cultures, if they have an excess of one change of clothing might have perhaps three at most. Wondering what it might be like to experiment for a month and forgo variety or fashionable metro-sexuality and utilize a minimum of clothes, say three. Just as an experiment. I wonder how my life might be changed. I wonder if any one would notice? I wonder…
Also thought about actually wearing out a shirt or a pair of jeans. Actually using them until their fully used and not just fashionably finished.
Excess…and the thought life of excess…the fact that I’m having these thoughts at all is a testimony to the luxuries that I take for granted.
Thanks brother,
Brittian
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/feature_micheal_landy.shtml
Love this idea Kester. One of my new years goals is to simplify… I want to be able to pack everything I need to live on into two backpacks (max) by the end of 2008.
In response to Brittian, I’m trying to wear all of my clothing out before I replace any of it. I also plan to wear a lot of it out and not replace it, because I have far to much!
No doubt we could live with less.
But whenever I pass by you bedroom I wonder how the two of you manage with just one wardrobe and chest of drawers between you!
I’m only amazed that I’m the first person who’s offered to take a mac off your hands! Or is no-one else really take your parting thought about where to start that seriously?…
Your name’s first on the list 😉
I love the Landy thing Nic. I know it caused a bit of hoo-ha about how ‘real’ it all was, but as a symbolic gesture, I thought it was huge.
I’ll come clean – sneaky heads up for those who read the comments on this thread, and may be I’ll do a proper post on this sometime soon, but I’ve recently finished a novel that plays on some of these themes. It’s called Nothing, and you can buy it here for a while from Lulu.com while I scout for an agent. 4th draft. Needs some editing. Any feedback welcome.
No I’m MrWhippy now.
I liked reading about this piece of ‘art’ – a woman who wore the same brown dress every day for a year http://www.littlebrowndress.com/brown_dress_journal.htm. But I couldn’t do it myself! I love clothes and what I wear affects how I feel. That may be shallow but it’s true