The Distraction of Busyness

One way to keep myself from overindulging in food is to keep busy.  Today, besides the general housework that is required daily, I chipped away at the excess clothes in my very large closet.  I decided to get my skirts out where I could see them as they are hidden behind other clothes.  I was amazed by how many I had, so I got rid of about half of them.  I kept wondering, what was I thinking when I bought these, these long, flowing, shapeless things, some of which were too small or too ugly to consider wearing. 

I imagine I am like a lot of women who have clothing ranging from the size they were several years ago, (or back in high school or college) to the size they are now.  I have a bad habit of buying clothes thinking I will lose weight and fit into them one day.  Even if I lost all the weight I have put on since those college days I still don't think I would wear much of what I thought I would "shrink" into.

It was hard to get started and even harder to look at the price tags still attached to several of them thinking how I could have put that money to better use.  So, for the time being, I am not buying any new clothes.  Frankly I don't need any, and when I have lost a few to several pounds I still have more than enough clothing in smaller sizes. 

I realize that the sheer volume of what I own necessitates a longer process than a couple of hours.  It will take a concerted, focused effort to get the closet to a manageable state, but today was just another of the first steps.  Last week I weeded out the dresses that I won't wear.  It feels good to get them out and to find things I thought were lost, things I do want to wear and can wear now.  Tomorrow I am off to the second hand consignment store to see if I can salvage a few dollars from the hundreds that I originally spent.  Of course some of the things will just go to a church run store because the consignment shops are a little pickier than "Goodwill" 

There have been books written about the clutter in our homes being related to the "clutter" on our bodies.  I am a firm believer that there is some kind of correlation, and if thinning out a closet leads to a thinning of my body, then I am all for it.