Bust the Stigma and Be the Change.. Dumpster Diving as an Art Form and Thoughts on Thrift Shopping BEFORE it was Cool

How many times have you driven by something left at the side of the street or curb for garbage pick up and thought, wow I should really turn around and pick that up!!..? I know I have done this countless times! A couple weeks ago I saw three matching storage baskets.. (You know the ones with the canvas liners in graduating sizes that fit inside each other and have many useful household purposes) They were in a dumpster by where I live so I grabbed them.. Hoping no-one sees me... But then I start thinking on the way home- why am I ashamed of this? I'm keeping them out of the landfills.. Putting them to good use.. We should be proud of this!! Why the shame and stigma? This is something to be proud of!! Since when should this be something shameful?? Why do we let outdated, irrelevant, misplaced societal norms dictate our behavior?

 When I was in my 20s and I had just started school I was struggling to pay the bills. Both the kiddos were under five at the time and daycare costs were a fortune.. I was a full time pre nursing student at college and working two part time jobs. I would have never made it without Mom, bless her heart (big ups to G-Ma!!)  She helped as much as she could with babysitting and with bills but it was a slim time financially for we three.. I had to buy most of their clothes at the thrift stores that year. This was the 90's when that was not Macklemore "Thrift Shop" cool or hipster yet AT ALL..

 Shopping at thrift stores unfortunately for most people was looked down upon or shamed.. When other Moms at my kid's school would give me a compliment on their clothes or shoes I would have to make something up about where I purchased them.. and that really bothered me.. I was a single mom and the area where my kids went to school was pretty swanky- some of the other moms were, ahhh, not sooo nice to me.. But I didn't care.. as long as my kids were happy but I was pretty sure if I told some of those moms the truth about where we had to shop at the time they wouldn't have thought it was "hipster" or cool.. That bothered me! Why should I feel ashamed for recycling and saving money? It should have been like..

  

The kids didn't care at the time and I secretly loved it!! It was a treasure hunt every time and I had a game I played with myself.. How much can I get for them for 20 bucks?!😄

Now thrifting is cool and I'm happy for that!! Society's standards are starting to change as the people find meaning in higher vibe priorities and that's awesome..

It really is.. ( WAY less cool retro furniture and clothing and higher prices since the hipster invasion).. but good overall. I have been seeing new thrift stores opening frequently around me- so fun.

So so positive overall!! And I for one am gonna keep on upcycling, dumpster divin' and thrifting with pride.. Let's brag about our dumpster scores and thrift store finds!! That's something to be proud of! 

 carry on.. I think it's tea time..😜