Pandemic Purge

Here’s this week’s reflection. I hope it resonates with you and ask that, if you enjoyed, please comment and share on your social media. Heartfelt thanks for all your support!

Keeping the light on for you,

Carol

A rumble has started in the closet. The matron of the house is embracing more minimalism. Tired of too many choices, and with a pandemic offering time to question need versus want, clothing and accessories are the next cache to curate.

No longer an urban fashionista, a lifestyle of repose is now preferred. The texture play of solace – sumptuously tumbled hides, relaxed collars, and sturdy denim – are de rigueur for a more mature, practical vibe.

Jeans take over the throne of the closet monarchy, the stuffy trousers forced to hit the road in a stiff gait. Denim touts the provision of a sturdy base for everything from chiffon to leather. Smugly powerful, shades of indigo and gray confidently collaborate with the gamut of frills hanging alongside.

Twenty-six handbags anxiously await a new fate. Entwining straps, they hang in solidarity, waiting for the axe to fall knowing several will be eliminated due to this wardrobe reorg.

The diverse group of bags has offered a fresh face every two weeks for an entire year without repeats. But the current urge to declutter demands the finalists of this particular pageant to possess both beauty and strength; a calling to shoulder more than just an attitude, lipstick and a license.

Along with this priority shift comes a real estate conundrum. While the locker is generous, there are others in the closet who would enjoy the corner suite occupied by the purse clique.

The scarves flutter with jealousy, giving those gluttonous pocketbooks the stink eye every possible chance. Tired of the dark, these beauties desire a breath of fresh air and to bloom floridly on a simple bag. Attractive utility and a small footprint are important attributes of the winsome wovens, hoping for a coveted spot for perpetuity.

Lined up in neat rows, accompanying sole mates vacillate between whether to match their cowhide cousins or not. Couture rules are fickle and change annually, with pointed toes curling in protest. Yearning for a meaningful presence in the mix, the shoes also sense a thinning of the herd. While the high heels clatter with trepidation, the flats and comfort sandals gently nod with chants of serenity.

As chatter rises, raw sentiments are tossed about.

“You were an IMPULSE purchase, after all, and deserve to go!” a pair of summer sandals shouts at an unsuspecting handbag, who retorts, “Ha! That’s the pot calling the kettle black! At least I’ve been used a few more times than YOU – you impractical heel!”

The elder in the room, a vintage bag, gently soothes, “Now now, you two…,” as an otherwise quiet cashmere wrap raises her corner and proclaims, “Stop it! All of you! Don’t make me smother you all!”

The scarves offer a collective “harumph!” as the blouses shiver, remaining silent. With arms tied they seek neutrality, having happily mixed with all of the players on various days. A large tote offers an ultimatum: “I will stuff ALL OF YOU in my belly if I have to, so knock it off!”

As black kitten heels hiss, hippie sandals slowly drone, “Dudes – really? Can we all just take a deep cleansing breath and love each other?”

A sequin sheath shimmers nervously as other vixens sniff at her formality. Purchased for a single dressy affair two years ago, she defends her hanger space. “Don’t you all stare at me! I’m the most cost-effective thing in here at $15.00 from the thrift shop! AND I fit like a glove!”

Meanwhile, the little black dresses simultaneously wink at each other, feeling above the fray, yet also realizing only one of them is truly needed. Large periods of time pass between wearings, for an occasional funeral or perhaps a fancy party. Mounting worry over waning usefulness is thankfully hidden under their dark color.

Intermittently growling, the leopard prints finally roar, “WE’RE NEUTRAL, TIMELESS, AND DESERVE TO STAY! We are clearly much more useful than some of you seasonals!”

As the wardrobe continues to argue, shopping realities of spending regret, impulsivity, impracticality, and occasional poor fit are spat out. But there is one thing agreed upon: Simplicity is the new regime. Concessions will be made and all is out of their control.

Quiet reflection ensues as everyone simmers down, occasionally muttering to themselves and accepting their destinies. The mutual wish is to be selected often for daily adventures, if not here in this closet, then surely in another. Consignment and thrift shops aren’t such a bad gig after all. A new generation of buyers will be just as smitten with their enduring charms.

As the donate box moves into position, all are silent. Having verbalized respective virtues, each friend waits. Flexibility is the ultimate virtue, and if unable to boogie with several others, an exit is in order.

And so departure commences, single file, into the box of change. The matron of the house smiles, thanking them for tireless service under her watch, and nestles them lovingly into place for the ride to a fresh destination.

With anticipation overcoming fear, they settle in for the journey. “I know someone else will love you just as much as I do,” she whispers. And they know she speaks the truth.