Scrapbook of the Soul

I've been doing laundry, cleaning house, and bagging up old clothing to take to Goodwill today. I've been inspired to do this because of a friend of mine, who owns so much thrift store clothing that she doesn't take care of it and has been known to use it as carpeting in her bedroom.

I don't ever want to get to that point. I am a human being; I prefer to live like one.

So today, I noticed that I have a pile of clothing that is approaching the pile that my friend owns, and I decided that I must Do Something About It--Today.

I'm not having too much difficulty getting rid of most of the old clothing I no longer wear. Most of it is too small for me now, ergo, it's heading for Goodwill. But I am deeply stymied when it comes to my t-shirts.

I can't bear to give any of my t-shirts away, except the Xena one.

Mind you, I've had some of these t-shirts since 1982 or earlier. A lot of them are t-shirts from science fiction conventions I attended or have some relationship to fantasy or SF. I own quite a few dragon t-shirts, as befitting a longtime Pern fan. I have some Babylon 5 t-shirts, some Star Trek t-shirts, a goodly collection of Celtic t-shirts, and some pagan T-shirts. I also own several Kinky Friedman t-shirts. I plan to buy a Dog the Bounty Hunter t-shirt soon.

I know I've got to get rid of some of these, and I've realized that the reason I don't want to is that these t-shirts are pieces of my life, touchstones to lovely memories, reminders and affirmations of my most deeply-held beliefs and interests. If you look at my t-shirts, you can pretty much tell what sort of person I am and what I love.

I don't know how to give away or throw away things which so powerfully remind me of who I am and what I've done in my life.

I think I could put the older ones into a storage crate, but I really, really don't want to say farewell to them forever.

Jeremy Irons Plays the Perfect Man

I was watching a Queen Elizabeth I movie starring Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons this afternoon, in between doing loads of laundry. Irons played Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, and he really did a marvelous job. I like his Leicester the best of any I've seen.

I realized it was because Irons plays him like a more sensible fellow than most of the actors I've seen playing him. Irons plays him like the rock Elizabeth needed. Always there, except for the occasional marriage that got in the way. I think I liked him so much in that role because he played Leicester the way I always wished he could be played.

But you know, Jeremy Irons usually plays that sort of character, the sensible, intelligent, dependable one with the wry sense of humor.

I have loved Irons in Kingdom of Heaven and Eragon, and he was even good playing Scar in The Lion King.

Anyway, very satisfying movie. I even forgave Helen Mirren for not being Glenda Jackson.