I had to give a speech in Public Speaking class yesterday. It was supposed to be about 2 pieces of clothing that are special, or define me, or are filled with memories. Well, when you have a minimalist's Capsule Wardrobe, you have to make adjustments. I got permission to speak on 2 "things" from my closet, so I spoke on 1 shirt in particular that I had to embellish to complete the assignment, but the second thing was my Capsule Wardrobe.
Speaking to a roomful of about 20 students, all of them between 18 and about 25 (except me), was interesting. I figured they would just listen to me for the 5 minutes or so, and move on. Instead, the reaction I got was amazing by this new generation coming up in the world! They said they loved the topic, the idea of minimalism (more so than the capsule wardrobe alone), and the idea of having more time and money to do what they want to do. The class is required to give anonymous feedback in the form of 2 categories: What they liked best, and what they felt needed improvement on my speech. As for the latter, it was tiny stuff like more eye contact - I have a habit of looking up when I'm thinking - and I did this without notes. The responses I got on what they liked best was so encouraging to me! They wrote not about my style, or gestures, or personal stuff, but about how they want to learn more about minimalism. That's exactly what I was hoping would happen; that they would be interested in a different lifestyle. Being an older student and a mom, I want to see these young adults grow up making better choices than the previous one. I want to see them let go of the mass consumerism, fueled by mindless consumption for the sake of status, or just thinking stuff will make them happy.
So in a time when the typical 20-somethings are eating Tide pods (laundry detergent) for fun and internet attention, I'm happy to say there is a smart group who are seeking a better way. A generation rising up that doesn't want to be chained to an unfulfilling 40+ hour workweek. They want to live intentionally, they want money left over to support charities and things that are important to them, and maybe, just maybe, minimalism can be the tool they find to do just that.
