A basic premise of permaculture is to reuse, re-purpose, and recycle those things that we already have. The things in which I have inflicted the most amount of wear and tear, like boots and gardening gloves, are often not salvageable. The three pairs of overalls that I had purchased five or six years ago, apparently had a shelf life; because mid-summer the knees ripped out of all three. They were put into a bag headed for Goodwill; but knowing how difficult it is to find jeans that fit me well and the high price of a single pair of overalls, caused me to retrieve them. There was also the pandemic to consider because many stores were not allowing clothes to be tried on before purchasing, or returned, if they did not fit. Fortunately, one of my granddaughters brought her sewing machine when she visited me, and she helped me to repair the holes in my overalls. I then hand-stitched patches over the repairs so they will get me through the remainder of this gardening season and at least part of the next one.
I face a greater dilemma with gloves and boots. I began the season with a nice new pair of pigskin gloves, but the thumb now has a big hole in it and the fingers are stiff with dirt. The main part of the gloves are still in good condition. I may try to sew the tear in the thumb, but I doubt my needles are strong enough to sew through leather. Once I find a comfortable pair of boots (or shoes) I hate departing from them. Most will last me three years or longer. This year I had to part with another pair because I had worn holes in the soles from so much digging in the garden. As with the gloves, the upper boots were still fine, but the shoe repairman could not replace the modern rubber soles. My winter UGG boots that I have had for more than fifteen years, are looking simply awful around the toes, with salt and water stains. The lining has become so flattened that they no longer keep my feet warm; but the part between the ankle and the top of the boot looks as good as new. What is one to do? There may be a fine line between hanging onto something because you may find another use for it one day – and hoarding. I believe on one hand, that when you let go of something, you create space for something new to come into your life. They say the universe abhors a vacuum. I think the important lesson here is to carefully consider all options before mindlessly throwing something away. Giving things away, which is essentially recycling, is a good thing because someone may need that very thing which you have released. I have often found things at thrift stores that were absolutely what I wanted or needed at the time. If we let go of the sense of ownership, enjoying, appreciating, and caring for whatever is temporarily in our possession, it lifts the weight of our ego off our shoulders. Everything is temporary. Enjoy what you have today, but be willing to let it go tomorrow. Always ask yourself, “Can it be reused, re-purposed, or recycled?
