Ian On The Red Dot

Ever since I started working, I’ve returned to wearing ‘uniforms’ – the standard is to rotate through 3 sets of G2000 shirt and pants, mixing up the combination each day. Haven’t changed the base since I started work in 2006 and I don’t really intend to.

I really have too much clothes for my dressing habit.

Over the weekend, I started taking photos and cataloging what clothes I don’t intend to keep. I really do hope to give it away to someone or some organization. The standard reply on which organization to give is ‘Salvation Army’ but I’ve heard that the Salvation Army collection boxes have become ‘rubbish bins’ so I’m not sure if that’s still the best place.

Any suggestions?

The first batch of clothes are here. The shirts are quite old but still very much wearable (by the standard that I would be more than happy to wear them out, much to the chagrin of my gf). The Quiksilver jeans, Hang Ten pants and U2 trousers are relatively new, could possibly be described as good condition and only my ballooning waistline is preventing me from using them.

I’m starting to go through my clothes, books and toys to decide what to throw away ( or hopefully either give or sell away). If you have any tips about which organizations would accept these donations, do leave a comment.

I’m moving house in two month’s time. I’m almost confirmed going to go insane just packing the stuff that’s been accumulated over the course of my 27 years on this earth. I’m trying to use this period as a chance to let go. Throw away the stuff I don’t need, especially the stuff I don’t need emotionally. I’ve always been sentimental and it has always been hard to let go of stuff that bring back sweet sweet memories but now, it increasingly seems senseless to collect things or just have so many material possessions.

The above was the first windbreaker my dad bought me. I got it around the time I entered secondary one. The new school brought a whole new concept of an air-conditioned studying environment. Also, that was the first time school was more than just one street crossing away and it was to provide me some protection in case it rained on the way home.

I outgrew this windbreaker quite quickly. But it didn’t become useless. My dad started using it for his golf games. It got retired from active duty only recently when it became too worn out and too permanently stained. I don’t want to throw it away but a part of me knows it is pointless holding onto this artifact that links together so many phases of my life.

More than just being there in my life, the windbreaker represents all the qualities of my dad that makes him a good man – his frugality and the understated way he chooses to express his love for my sister and me.

Throwing this is like letting go that part of him i cherish, that part which I love. But maybe, just maybe, it is time to stop loving items and the memories but start loving again the person who is in the home.