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10 17

I was acting like a guy with a threadbare "lucky" hunting shirt.

The zipper fabric tore on my beloved, down Outdoor Research "Super Sweater" with a hood. While hiking, this light down jacket saved me from getting hypothermia for 20 years.

Previously I scoffed at guys with "lucky" threadbare, flannel hunting shirts. I was asked to repair two of them. One was like a torn spiderweb with big holes. Why not buy a new shirt?

I recently replaced the old jacket with a new, Outdoor Research lightweight "Down Hoody." Funny new name. It's better-made. But I resisted getting rid of the old jacket.

Gave myself a stiff talking-to. I had three options:

  1. Replace the zipper without losing feathers. First step: remove the old zipper. Quadruple sewed, it was extremely well made. Worked on it for 30 minutes with a seam ripper and lighted magnifying lamp. Could not free the zipper at all.

  2. Give it to Goodwill? It felt immoral to donate a jacket without a working zipper.

  3. Get charged $200 by a seamstress to replace the zipper.

Yesterday I harvested the stuff bag and zipper slider/pull that I used to repair the old jacket. Feeling sad, I threw it away.

I quickly got over it since I'm not sentimental about clothes. Family photos, oil paintings, cards from my daughter, favorite books and family Christmas decorations: yes.

Gave my daughter ornaments after I stopped putting up a Christmas tree.

What are you sentimental about?

LiterateHiker 9 Jan 18
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10 comments

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1

The carvings my now dementia addled stepfather created.

Irreplaceable.

1of5 Level 8 Jan 18, 2021
1

My dad's army jacket, never fit me, he was thin and fit and 5'10, I am 6' 1" and weigh 250 lbs, he had size 10 shoes I have size 14, but will never get rid of it.

1

I work as a sorter in a recycling sorting plant. There are lots of people out there tossing their unwanted pieces of clothing in their recycling bins. Even though they're not supposed to. So we often see some clothes passing by on our conveyor lines.
Our bosses ask us to throw all the clothes we find in the garbage. They tried to have them picked up and offered them to some charity groups, but nobody wanted them. Too stinky, all soaked up with garbage juice. Too many people throw their garbage in their recycling bins as well.
My colleagues and I, we do manage to sneak out some stuff for ourselves. Since the place where I work is not exactly a fashion show, most of what I wear at work, I picked it up on my line.

@QuidamOutrepont

I always carefully clean items before donating to Goodwill.

People can be disgusting! I am the only person who picks up litter around where I live.

While hiking, Karen and I carry grocery bags and pick up litter on the descent. Litter attracts litter.

But I refuse to touch dog poop bags and toilet paper. What are they thinking? The Poop Fairy will appear and clean up after them?

Using a stick, we push toilet paper and dog poop off the trail and bury it.

@LiterateHiker I see people in parking lots empty their cars of trash onto the pavement,,, a truck driver laughed as he threw his shit on the pavement,, when he was out of sight i used my shovel and broom and swept it up,,his window was open,, I tossed it all on his seat,,,,

@Petercuddlebug

Good for you! Littering is despicable behavior.

1

My dad was in the Canadian Armed Forces back in 1956 till 1960,,, I still have parts of his uniform! And many of the pictures he took while being the only photographer in the base. Great memories.

1

Beautiful photos. Even the backgrounds are nice. 😀

@BestWithoutGods

Thank you so much.

1

You might keep in mind that some clothes can be donated, that go to recycling places that remake the material into great moving blankets!

I feel the same with shoes, the worn comfortable ones! I can’t donate them to be recycled into anything I believe!

Keep on hiking...one day you want be able to go the long routes, but they remain in your heart! 🤗

1

I still have my husband's wool lined Levi jacket and wear it occasionally. The cuffs are ragged but there's not any way I could throw it away.

@Lorajay

That's understandable since you are a widow. I'm sorry for your loss.

1

I'm not sentimental about very much, in fact can't really think of anything. The xmas decorations have already been divided up amongst the kids, I don't do much decorating for any holiday. I've already given the kids the stuff I collected that had significance over the years. I do have some cards that the kids have given me as adults, and I have some artwork from the grands. I don't collect stuff like I used to.

1

Can't think of anything I'm particularly sentimental about.
It's just stuff.

2

Nothing. I am a long-time minimalist. Sentiments are in my head, not things.

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