Day 30 -- New Year's Resolutions

In anticipation of the season of New Year’s Resolutions, where everyone including me resolves to lose weight, I’d like to share a resolution I have kept from 2008.  Since January 1, 2008, I have not purchased any new clothes.  Mind you in the wake of the AIDS pandemic, the crisis in Darfur and global warming, I realize this is not a universally heroic act. In fact, it might underscore how materialistic I am.  And if you have ever seen my closet, which some friends affectionately claim, based on its enormity, has its own zip code; you’d recognize this is not as sacrificial or noble as it seems.  Truth be told, for better or worse, I am a self-proclaimed clothes horse.   

Nonetheless, I am proud I had the will power to not buy a single item of clothes for what come Thursday will amount to an entire year. My new goal will to make it until I am gainfully employed before I buy any new clothes. 

I few things motivated me to do this. 

Firstly, in reflecting on my past clothes horse behavior, I believed my desire to purchase new clothes so frequently was meeting some unmet emotional need.  I think comfort eaters out there might relate.  When I felt bad about myself for whatever reason, a quick trip to JCrew, Banana Republic or the likes was sure to boost my self esteem. 

Second, over time I have become sickened to think about the amount of money I spent on my version of retail therapy when global poverty, and especially at my old job, domestic poverty is overwhelming.  Driving into skid row day in and day out for the better part of four years provided me with a very clear picture of poverty which admittedly is different than international poverty, but still.  Perhaps, shallow, materialistic former mall rats like me are part of the problem in this way.  How many labels in my closet came from developing nations where the laborers earn annually dramatically less than what I make in a month?

Thirdly, in 2001 I went to Minneapolis for the NCAA Final Four (and I know I wasted all kinds of fuel traveling for three basketball games).  I know this seems like it might have very little to do with materialism, but what is one of the biggest attractions in Minneapolis – THE MALL OF AMERICA (TMOA).  I almost vomited when I was there.  In fact, recalling my visit just made me throw up a little in the back of my mouth. What is so sickening about TMOA is that not only is it a bona fide tourist attraction, I am told it is in the top ten American destinations for international tourists.  It is a cathedral to our consumer society that I am embarrassed to have ever stepped foot in.  Before my visit to TMOA, I don’t think I realized how pervasive either my own materialism was or our society’s had become.  Mind you, I used to be one of those nitwits I pity now who converge on black Friday shopping like devout Muslims traveling to Mecca.  These are the same people TMOA was built for. 

Fourthly, I read a feature in the LA Times years ago (circa 2003) about the business of used clothes in Africa.  Unbeknownst to many clothes horses, often our cast offs by way of Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc, make their way to Africa where they are considered good as new.  In particular, American T-shirts are coveted.  Pause and think how many t-shirts you have in your closet you seldom wear right now?  Worse yet, these 2^nd hand American clothes are referred to as “Dead Man’s Clothes” by Africans because as the clothes are in such good condition, the average purchaser of “Dead Man’s Clothes” assumes the previous owner must have died.  Why else would anyone get rid of clothing that still had such life in it?