It Is Done

I took 6 bags of clothes and shoes (and yes, even purses) to Goodwill today.  It's the first time in a long while I've done this and I'm a bit ambivalent about it.  As good as it feels to get rid of things I know will go to people who can use them, a part of me feels like I've given up.

You see, every single item of clothing I got rid of today is too small.

So I'm feeling a bit defeated.  I've had to accept that I'm so far away from ever wearing these items again that by the time I get back to that size (assuming I ever do, and that's assuming a lot) I won't want to wear them anyway, probably because they will be 15+ years out of style.  The shoes and purses were an easier thing--most of the shoes never really fit properly anyway and the purses had seen better days and didn't have any particularly distinguishing features to make the cut.  But I'm still dealing with letting go of the clothes.  Some of the pieces I've had for a very long time (like, since the 90s) and it's easy to get attached to something after that long.

I must confess--I kept back one bag.  Hey, I got rid of six, what more do you want from me?  Geez!  Anyway, I kept one bag of stuff I just couldn't bear to part with.  One such item was the faux zebra jacket I wore the first year I won "Best Male Drag" at Club Ren in their annual Halloween costume contest.  With a history like that, it would be unthinkable to let go.  Besides I'm pretty sure faux zebra is a classic that will never go out of style...Regardless, it stays along with a few other favorites I just can't live without, even if they don't fit.

The best part of this whole thing is I can actually get into my fabulous walk-in closet unimpeded.  Formerly the way was blocked by piles of garbage bags taunting me with their too-small contents.  Now I can easily get to the clothes I own that actually do fit without spraining an ankle.

So, for those of you who want proof (I'm looking at you, Mindy) here's my newly emptied closet:

See?  Nothing blocking the way to all those beautiful clothes.  Here's a look at the purse collection:

Now to be honest this isn't the complete collection.  I do have more, but these are the ones not in the current rotation.  Yes, there's a rotation.  You got a problem with that?

Here are the bags of clothes I've kept.  Some of them are fall/winter and some of them are spring/summer that are just a teensy bit too small:

See?  I got rid of six and I kept eight.  That's pretty good, right?

Right?

Well I'm proud of myself.