I definitely felt regret, on a couple of occasions it even escalated to panic. I am still exploring why I get those strong feelings. Last summer I went through storage boxes and came across my old Sigg water bottle. I got it when I was 17 and in high school. It has a 0.7-liter volume…
Storyobjects
I was always fascinated by old objects. Growing up there was never a shortage of old things to discover. Because in the East, people were less likely to declutter and throw them out. You might use it one day, or you might need to repurpose it for something you couldn’t get at the moment, or…
Bananas in the “Golden Age” – Materialism in the Eastern Block, Part 4
The late 1980s in Romania were a time of shortages. Ceausescu, the autocrat in power, made nationalist isolationism and economic independence from the West an absolute priority. State propaganda used the phrase “Golden Age” to describe Ceausescu’s time in power. Regular citizens used the phrase ironically. When the regime fell in 1989 most of Romania’s…
Precious Guilt
After decluttering for over a year, it turns out I am following the onion method, just how Dawn, The Minimal Mom, describes it. I am now peeling off the fourth layer of my jewelry onion. It took quite a while and a few revelations to even realize, that I can minimize my jewelry. I have…
Minimalistic Colors? – Materialism in the Eastern Bloc, Part 3
When you search for #minimalism on social media, your screen will be flooded with monochrome images, mostly in whites or beiges. At the beginning of my minimalist journey, I just didn’t understand. Why can’t the few things that you possess be of strong, vibrant colors? Why do kids’ rooms have to be deprived of them…
Blissful Unawareness? – Materialism in the Eastern Bloc, Part 2
I believe the biggest problem when it comes to materialism in the Eastern Bloc is that we all were able to watch West German TV and advertisements. Except for “the valley of the clueless“, Dresden and the northeast, where not even the best antennas could receive West German public TV signals. It might be a…
Where We Come From – Materialism in the Eastern Bloc, Part 1
Andrea and I grew up in the 80s during the Cold War on the communistic side of the divide. Looking back now, I, Grit, realize how our lives were dictated by materialism. Due to the scarcity of materials and lack of access to them, not abundance. And not just merchandise, actual material, building material, and…