Things I Do Not Own

This is a list of things that most women own and that I simply do not. There is no judgment here, just an awareness on my part of how odd I am.

1.       A scale

2.       A purse of any kind

3.       Any makeup

4.       Any exfoliant

5.       Loofas (is that how it’s spelled?) or pumice stones

6.       Any skincare besides sunscreen, which I use rarely

7.       Any haircare besides Suave shampoo and conditioner

8.       Barrettes or headbands (I do have black elastics and a couple of claws++)

9.       A nail file

10.   A hairbrush (I only have a comb)

11.   Nail polish/nail polish remover

12.   Cuticle care

13.   Tooth whitener

14.   Curling iron or blow drier

15.   Perfume or scented bath products of any kind

16.   Rubber gloves for cleaning

17.   A “nice” watch (rather than a big ole sports watch)

18.   Bath towels not from Ironman races

19.   Heels or any shoes that are not slip-on style running shoes or flip-flops

20.   Tchotchkes of almost any kind (I do have a few teacups, if you count those).

And yet, I own other things in quantity that I’m sure many would think are excessive:

1.       Boxes and bins full of yarn

2.       Handmade afghans already finished and displayed on my walls

3.       Over two hundred race medals, all displayed, as well as trophies and other awards such as a couple of large plates, a memorial coin from the 2022 Ironman in Hawaii, and several race mugs.

4.       Exercise equipment, including a whole lot of dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells, resistance bands, a treadmill, fans, and a indoor bike trainer. I use these all A LOT.

5.       Exercise nutition, from gu’s to protein powder (though I don’t do supplements of any kind, including vitamin pills).

6.       A jewelry box that has an eclectic set of jewelry mostly with stones that I like, heavily featuring green and black.

7.       Stuffed animals, something I never had as a child, but have begun collecting over the last few years, including a stuffed Loch Ness Monster, a stuffed hedgehog and a stuffed dragon.

8.       Twist ties, mostly taken from bread bags. I don’t know why I keep collecting these, but I do. Probably like my mother with her rubber band ball.

9.       Framed book covers.

10.   At least a thousand books, the ones I’ve actually read. I got rid of all the others in a purge during the divorce, and only keep the ones I think are worth re-reading, though I admit that mostly I buy them on audiobook to reread and the physical copies are just for show, especially the ones that are signed by author friends.