The Year of Living Minimally - Week Forty-five

Old habits die hard. But the only way to change an old habit is by practicing a new one.Last weekend I went out with my sister. Neither of us is a shopper, but she needed to buy shoes for work and I tagged along.Now, you may recall that I've pared down my shoe collection (black, brown, white, tan, sneakers - that's basically it - winter boots don't count in June). But I was drawn in - lots of sandals on sale. I was tempted. I paused, long enough to realize that I have what I need. And the floor of my closet looks good! Hey, buy 'em if you want 'em. This is my personal journey. I'll survive without those adorable Calvin Klein slides, marked down 40%.Then we hit the bookstore. Oh, man. Harder than passing up shoes is passing up books.But I did. I'm behind my own self-imposed schedule for the new novel I'm writing, and I still have plenty of books to read. Besides, if I do buy a book, it'll be from an independent bookstore.We are barraged with ads every day. Buy now. On sale. Clearance. Last chance! It's part of our culture. Changing the habit of consumerism can come slowly. But last weekend, as I returned home with only a bouquet of irises for the house, I felt triumphant.