Maybe all of us have trouble getting rid of things. It may just be part of the human condition. Does it harken back to the days of hunting and gathering when keeping things was a part of survival?
Near the end of the school year I saw all 33 (yes, 33!!!) of my elementary classes for the last time. During one of those final classes, a second grade boy brought me a drawing he had made of Spider Man. He insisted that it was for me. This is common; elementary kids LOVE their teachers, and they shower us with handmade gifts when they are given time to create. I placed the drawing in my crate of stuff to go with me when I left.
About 10 minutes later this same small boy comes back up to my desk. He looks around, frowns, and demands, "Where's my drawing?". I told him I had put it in my crate to take it home. He asked only to see it, so I got it out and handed it to him. I was somewhat surprised when he exclaimed that he would be keeping it and walked away with it. I was also relieved that I wouldn't have to get rid of it later.
It occurs to me now that he just couldn't let go of it. We, as human creatures, so easily develop emotional attachments to things. We know that we don't need these things, but we cling to them soley for their meaning. Sometimes it is something that we worked hard to make or that reminds us of someone we've lost; other times it is just plain silly. I actually kept 10 pieces of clothing that are clearly too small for me simply because I like them and plan on being small enough to wear them in the future.
I successfully conquered my closet! There's actually extra space, but I also learned that the best fix for the "need" to go shopping is cleaning your closet. I am now aware that I do not need clothes or shoes, with the exception of one pair of dress shoes. That of course is the slippery slope, can I go into a shoe store and buy only one pair of shoes? Or will I find myself instantly and absurdly attached to multiple pairs of shoes, none of which actually meet my needs?
Now, if losing weight could only be as easy as cleaning a closet; then I wouldn't feel so silly about keeping those size 4 jeans. And yet, what do jeans have to do with survival?