What would you do if you lost all your possessions?
Books, ornaments glass, clothes, paintings… Clutter.
In some ways to lose all my possessions would make life simpler as long as I had somewhere to go? Our house has got crowded with ‘stuff’, we have collected things over years and years, and we are trying to get rid of some of it.
But it’s easy to become attached, an object can encompass memories, look at it and you look back in time. Does losing your possessions give you freedom? Or is it oppressive? What if you only have the clothes you stand up in, no credit or debit card…. Knowledge of where you live would be important. Knowing how to light a fire, keep warm, find food and clean drinking water. The inhumanity of men to the homeless is a fear if I went through with disposing of my possessions.
An artist did do it. He crushed all of his belongings I think. It was a very powerful art ‘happening’, but what happened to him? Was he paid to do it, has he replaced things, did he survive? The problem is that in a world of thousands or millions of wonders each day, does anyone even notice.
It would be good to dispose of my belongings, to free up myself, but I’m getting too old to survive such a thing. I will have to keep at least some of my things..
Mallaband-Brown 
Good post. I sometimes give away things I kept for years and haven’t used or looked at for a long time. Right after I do, that’s when I go looking for it. Particularly with books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it’s horrible when you realise you’ve given a favourite away…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tellement vrai
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merci
LikeLike
The artist you mention, Michael Landy has done ok. There’s a Guardian interview with him from 2021 (20 years after he destroyed all his possessions), where he says he doesn’t miss or regret anything.
Recently we had our house rewired, preparation for which involved first filling a small skip with junk, selling and donating some books and then packing up as much of the house as possible and stashing it in the garage – loads of books, CDs, DVDs, kitchenware, clothes, everything portable basically. We spent a few nights in a hotel while the work was done and I was struck by how I really didn’t miss anything. I appreciate it’s not the same when you know your stuff is still there and you’re going back to it, but honestly I think if it all went and I just had my loved ones safe it’d work out. I’m definitely not a minimalist, but I do think getting rid of stuff is liberating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the info. I appreciate it, hope the rewiring went OK X
LikeLike