SIMPLE JOY

This week has been like an epiphany for me. I did something I haven’t done for awhile. I went shopping with my friend Kathryn, and no we did not go shopping at the mall or department stores. We went opshopping at both the Salvos and St Vinnies. For those of you not from Australia we went second hand shopping at charity shops, which you would call thrift shops or goodwill.

When I was married I used to be a volunteer at the local Salvos store and absolutely loved it. But I guess my life changed throughout lockdown, and boy in Melbourne did we endure a long lockdown. I had forgotten the simple pleasure 🙏 of browsing through a second hand store. Yes, in my early twenties I used to spend a lot of time, buying beautiful second hand 40s and 50s style dresses 👗. I used to buy things like beautiful antique lamps and pictures. I loved things from the past when things were made to last and of good quality. I fell in love with shops like the Chapel Street Bazaar. I was lucky that my Aunty and my cousin owned first the Footscray Bazaar and later Newport Temple Antiques. I collected tea cups and saucers and bought a couple of items of antique furniture. My joy was to roam these shops, just happy browsing and looking at the things for sale. It is of no surprise that I love Antiques Roadshow. Again enduring lockdown meant I couldn’t enjoy that simple pleasure.

I got some bargains with Kathryn and was pleasantly surprised that I live near two such wonderful opshops. I intend regularly now to go and browse there. Even if you don’t buy anything it is always interesting to see what gets donated, Now when I am looking for something inparticular I will look at the Salvos and St Vinnies first. I would rather buy something where my money goes to supporting the less fortunate, and it is just such fun looking.

If you need some retail therapy take a leaf out of Kathryn and my book and go opshopping for pleasure. It is pure fun.