Charity

So these past few days I have been manically clearing the house. Why? Well, because I have time on my hands and because, at the back of my mind, I feel I should start to organise my stuff in some way in preparation for moving out when I get married. Isn't it lovely to have space?

So off I went yesterday to give two huge black bags of things I no longer needed to charity. Was what I was doing charitable? In all honesty, the sentiment wasn't entirely charitable. I needed space, minus the guilt derived from throwing things out.

Anyway, I couldn't even get close to a charity shop in my area, so I went to Kilburn. This is a more deprived area with lots of immigrants, unemployed residents and shops that seem to come and go. You'd think it would be depressed, as a lot of its residents live in counsel housing, but actually it's buzzing. Lower rent means there are some independent shops - not of the quirky pretty variety, admittedly, but independent none the less, selling cheap household goods, tupperware boxes and the like. The charity shop was buzzing, too, with people buying things I would never have thought would leave those racks and shelves - people really appreciate things that I take for granted or would never wear. Seeing that gives me perspective on all that I have and on how spoilt I can be.

I felt SO good dropping off my goods at Cancer Research UK. I hadn't realised what a good feeling giving would give me. I literally left the place elated. Elated and armed with a good find: this beautiful shirt (that perfectly matches my new Etsy headband, I might add). It's several sizes too big but I'm going to take it in using my sewing machine. Yay - I love a good find.

A small way in which the current economic climate is opening up my eyes to a different life, to people who are better than I at being careful and at appreciating what they have.