It’s Personal: Downsizing, Etc.

October 17, 2017

It’s Personal: Downsizing, Etc.

Note: If you’re looking for straight lines and A to Z writing, skip this post.

Downsizing has been on my mind lately. (Truth be told, my mind gets crowded with notions; without Mark Rubin Writes, it might explode!) Anyway, and as I have noted recently, the -0 birthday and the annual reckoning with another year as an attorney—as I write I joined the State Bar of Arizona 36 years ago today, and I started working on October 19, 1981—have brought on a reflective mood.

Closets, as it happens, have brought forth downsizing. I moved on September 14, 2017, the day of my 60th birthday. I’d been planning my move, but it happened on that evening, unexpectedly.

I shared the joy associated with my birthday, including the most wonderful scavenger hunt, in On Turning 60. Alas, I left out a part of the experience. Between downtown and Casa Video—when I dropped Max off at home—I noticed wooden shards. A broken lock. My home office, in disarray. Burgled, I’d been. Missing? Change, as in maybe $20 in rolled and loose coins. And, I discovered a few days later, an almost new $250-ish television. Lucky I was, but I haven’t slept in that house since.

Two more things about my birthday. First, I left this story out of On Turning 60 to insulate my stepdad from worries. Alas, when I arrived for Sunday dinner—I cook for him every Sunday—he said, right after I walked in, “So you had a break-in.” My sister told his daughter, at a Los Angeles wedding shower for my niece-to-be.
And the other? On my 50th birthday, someone tried to steal $62,176 from my law office checking account. I can’t wait for my 70th birthday! (No connection, clearly, between the two events, but if you believe in a pre-determined destiny for each of us, you want to be around on September 14, 2027, too.)

So, back to downsizing. I have about 500 more square feet than I had in my old house. And a pool. And yards. (Less space than I had in the home I lived in for 20+ years, but more than I’ve had for a few years.) I also have two offices, and I’m responsible for Max the dog (who demanded recognition and a photo, even if it’s old.)

Max Atticus Finch

Max Atticus Finch

Onward. Downsizing. Not so much on space. Actually, none at all. But in my case, two “downsizing” matters come forth, before I get to closets … and what used to be in them. First, I’ve shrunk. Most of my readers, I think, see me regularly, so the changes have been gradual enough to not be noticeable. And while I’m hardly a shell of my former self, I weigh 20+ pounds less than I did at my high point, and between 15 – 20 pounds less than my adult weight.

The other downsizing aspect of my life involves simplicity. Zen and nirvana sound like clichés, but I look back on the frenetic nature of the life I lived and wonder … WTF! (As regular readers know, I dabble in the personal and, like cockroaches who hear the Raid button, I scurry on. Onward, to closets.)

Clothes. Damn. I gave away at least 30 garments a year or so ago. Designer suits, sport coats, slacks, and dress shirts. Too big, or just not what I wanted anymore. But gone!

Then, early this evening, I did another go-through. For giving away—and I will not say how much I still have, because I am embarrassed—I have: (1) A dozen dress shirts in excellent condition, 16 x 35; (2) Several designer suits, 42L, with 36×32 pants, all pleated and mostly cuffed; (3) Five or six sport jackets, 42L; and (4) Lots of Zanella dress slacks, which are 35×32, pleated and cuffed.

These clothes need a good home. I can sell them on eBay. Nope! Or, I can donate them to Goodwill or another charity. (Previously, I gave clothes to the Legal Defender in Tucson, so that when criminal defendants showed up for their trials, they would not be disadvantaged.) Now, though, I want to share my wardrobe with people I know, or people who know people I know. So, if you know any men who wear 16 x 35 shirts, 36-35 x 32 slacks, or 42L jackets, holler at me. (Men, if you fit the definition, contact me directly.) I will ask for an “as you can” donation to a worthy charity, but that won’t get in the way of a transfer.

Thanks for wending your way through my less than direct path to the end, and for your consideration in helping me with my downsizing by ridding me of possessions I don’t want or need.

 

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