Letting Go

I'm once again taking inspiration from Maggie Mason's book and this is idea #50: Clean House.

She writes

Some thing we hold on to way past their expiration date: the rocks you collected from who knows where, the bubble bath that's "too good to use," the dream of becoming a rock star. Time to empty your clostes and fill up your blog by posting about the things you need to let go.

It is as if she knew that I have to get rid of many things in my attic. I actually do have rocks collected from who knows where.

I am not going to blog about rocks. But I am cleaning out my closet.

Every Fall I am met with pieces of clothing that I no longer wear but for some reason or other I keep.

When I was in high school I was very involved in drama club- at both my high schools. My second high school, AFCent, had an excellent drama teacher name Dr. Karen Andersen-Bloomfield. She was inspiring and had a passion for the art of theater that was contagious.

My senior year of high school Doc directed the play, "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." In the play, one of the characters claimed that her son was fathered by James Dean when she was an extra in the movie, "Giant."

I wasn't in the play (Austina was) but I was part of the techincal side of things. I think my official title was Assistant Director or Assistant to the Director. I spent many rehearsals sitting next to Doc and taking notes on blocking, lighting, tempo, and whatever else she happened to want written down.

Part of the play indicated that the group of girls had jackets for their James Dean fan club. So whoever was in charge of costumes got to order jackets for the actors. Those of us on the technical side got one too, but we had to pay for ours.

Aimee, one of the actresses, was also an artist, so she screenprinted the jackets. Of course the face of James Dean was on the back, along with the club name "The Disciples of James Dean."

Every fall I come to this red jacket hanging in my closet and have no idea what to do with it. It reminds me of some really good times but I would never be caught dead wearing it. Yet I can't seem to put it in the goodwill pile or trash it. It isn't lined, so it wouldn't have any warmth value at all. And red isn't really my color. All signs point to getting rid of it, but I have no idea how to do so.

Now that I have shared this part of my past and closet, I think I can let go. And now I have a little more room in my closet.