AOH is a universe in itself, a very diverse cosmos of various different realities and worlds together. Here you find so many different groups, ideologies, philosophies and ways of life coexisting One such group (by group we refer to literal and figurative entities, with real reasons to bind them together in a virtual platform, such as WhatsApp) is the AOH Minimalists.
A very noble idea, to declutter and promote the principles of living sustainably and not becoming victims to mass consumerism, the group was formed with the idea of recirculating things that we end up buying but never using, so that among our residents, those who may find it useful may take it, instead of having to buy it all over again. A win-win for both!
As one of the past members of that group and having given away many things in my bid to declutter, I was very impressed with the workings of it. Until of late. One now notices that some people (easily identified) are perhaps waiting to claim absolutely anything which is put there (and you wonder for whom they are accumulating all of it!) …
What is more, some even physically collect things which they have not claimed, even if claimed by someone else, because they were able to collect it first! … To quote a fellow minimalist, it is like fastest finger first wins!
There have also been instances of people claiming things but not actually following through by having them collected. However, what took the cake (fast finger first here too) was people who do not even live here, claim, and then come all the way to collect their haul, and one of them even having the temerity to tell me to keep some things from the next lot I give away for them… Really now?
A bit extreme, and perhaps contrary to the philosophy! I have realized that Indians, by nature, are maximalists, as we tend to even keep small things anticipating a what – if scenario in the future. However, to those who continue to declutter and minimize, kudos, and may your tribe grow!
