My name is Sam Manzella, and the amount of stuff I own stresses me out on the daily.
I’m 17 years old as of now (April 15, 2014.) I’m about to head to college after I graduate high school. I have an exciting future ahead of me; I was admitted into my dream school, and I have the privilege of being able to study the subjects I love the most. I come from a modest background. Firmly middle-class, I’d say. My parents raised me to be grateful of what I do have. I don’t get everything I ask for, and I work hard for what I want. I have good work ethic. I’m a strong kid.
But I have a problem.
You probably have the same problem, too.
I own too much stuff. I own too many clothes (I probably wear 50% of them, at the very most.) I own too much makeup (I probably use 10% of it on a daily basis, again, at the most.) I have too many books. I have too much jewelry. I have too many shoes. I have too many material possessions. These possessions take up space in my life. Literal space, yes, but also head-space. I’m not a messy person. My room always has a semblance of order, same with my closet. But seeing the sheer amount of stuff I own–stuff I don’t really need and certainly don’t use often–scares me. It scares me because I need to haul all of my crap upstate in a month, yes. But also because I see how much I’ve been suckered into consumerism.
Americans like to buy shit. Usually shit we don’t need. I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a shopping mall because I genuinely needed something I did not have. Shopping is part of my life. It’s what I do when I take a day trip into town or into the city. It’s what I do with my friends, to have fun. And it scares me because so much of my day-to-day pleasure relies on accumulating stuff.
That’s not okay.
This blog is my attempt to change things. I need to curb my shopping habit. I need to shop less, only when I need to. I need to shop more responsibly and ethically, with an emphasis on quality. I’ve tossed around the idea of starting a minimalism-focused blog for a few months. I’m a teenager about to go to college and live away from my parents for the first time in my life. I believe that this gives me a unique perspective on the notion of living simply.
Hopefully, I can learn to simplify. I can learn to downsize. Ideally, I will be able to create a solid foundation of simplification that lasts beyond my late teenage years. It will be quite the journey.
I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.
I’m 17 years old as of now (April 15, 2014.) I’m about to head to college after I graduate high school. I have an exciting future ahead of me; I was admitted into my dream school, and I have the privilege of being able to study the subjects I love the most. I come from a modest background. Firmly middle-class, I’d say. My parents raised me to be grateful of what I do have. I don’t get everything I ask for, and I work hard for what I want. I have good work ethic. I’m a strong kid.
But I have a problem.
You probably have the same problem, too.
I own too much stuff. I own too many clothes (I probably wear 50% of them, at the very most.) I own too much makeup (I probably use 10% of it on a daily basis, again, at the most.) I have too many books. I have too much jewelry. I have too many shoes. I have too many material possessions. These possessions take up space in my life. Literal space, yes, but also head-space. I’m not a messy person. My room always has a semblance of order, same with my closet. But seeing the sheer amount of stuff I own–stuff I don’t really need and certainly don’t use often–scares me. It scares me because I need to haul all of my crap upstate in a month, yes. But also because I see how much I’ve been suckered into consumerism.
Americans like to buy shit. Usually shit we don’t need. I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a shopping mall because I genuinely needed something I did not have. Shopping is part of my life. It’s what I do when I take a day trip into town or into the city. It’s what I do with my friends, to have fun. And it scares me because so much of my day-to-day pleasure relies on accumulating stuff.
That’s not okay.
This blog is my attempt to change things. I need to curb my shopping habit. I need to shop less, only when I need to. I need to shop more responsibly and ethically, with an emphasis on quality. I’ve tossed around the idea of starting a minimalism-focused blog for a few months. I’m a teenager about to go to college and live away from my parents for the first time in my life. I believe that this gives me a unique perspective on the notion of living simply.
Hopefully, I can learn to simplify. I can learn to downsize. Ideally, I will be able to create a solid foundation of simplification that lasts beyond my late teenage years. It will be quite the journey.
I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.
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