Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Burn Pile

Last night I completed the task of going through my entire wardrobe.  The burn pile is massive.  So far all I have left in my closet are items I bought fair trade or from small markets in Thailand and Bali.  I have not decided yet whether or not those will stay in the closet.  I am grappling with my ethics pretty intensely.  On one hand, at least I bought the items in the country they were made but on the other hand, I have no way of knowing the conditions under which they were made.  For now they will stay in the closet.


In all there are about 75 pounds of clothing on the burn pile. I decided that all my undergarments had to go. I have 1 pair of socks that I bought locally that I held on to but I will be going to the shop and asking them about their sources. It is fortunate for me that I decided to do this in the Spring or else I would be freezing my ass off. No underwear, no socks, no bras, no undershirts. I am free and loose! I am not sure where I will procure these items in the future but at least it's not 30 degrees outside!  Also gone are all of my coats and jackets. I am down to my hand made crochet ponchos that I make for fun. However, they got me started thinking about the yarn industry. I bought all that yarn at Joann Fabric so their fate is still uncertain.

It is amazing the thoughts that go through your head when you are touching and evaluating every item of clothing you own. All that I have left is hanging in my closet. My large dresser is completely empty. My first thought was how much less laundry I will have to fold. Then as I looked at the remaining items I realized that almost everything I love most is still in my closet. These are the items I paid serious money for at Fair Trade shops or from local markets. But I realized that I hardly ever wear any of it. I save these items for concerts or other events where I will be around people. I don't ever just wear them for myself. Next I went through my laundry bin and pulled out everything that is mine. I noticed 2 items that I will be keeping and I immediately separated them from the other laundry. My thought was that I should wash them on delicate because they need to last for a really long time. I have never used the delicate cycle in my life.

And while I was doing all this another 8 people died in another fire in Bangladesh. The death toll from the collapse at Rana Plaza is over 900.


By Rosemary Feurer |   



http://www.ibtimes.com/building-collapse-dhaka-bangladesh-kills-over-80-scores-injured-many-others-feared-trapped-debris#

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