Brave the Mullet

Prime Minister Harold Macmillan famously said in the 1950′s " You’ve never had it so good " – and the truth is that under 11 years of Labour we have prospered individually like no other time, it’s easy to forget this, but like Churchill saving us from the Nazi’s, the nation quickly forgot as they binned him, tossed aside like an old worn glove.

 

We have become obsessed with change for changes sake since then, as politics becomes reliant on media personality spin instead of policy. Press the RED Button is all people can muster holding the remote, as the right wing press and TV stations manipulate our fears and intentions.

 

Having lived through Thatcher and numerous recessions, austerity holds no fear. Having survived bankruptcy, addiction, homelessness, AIDS, Agadoo and death’s door I am primed for the worst case scenario even though cutting back is not a natural act for this Londoner. It’s been worse than a hung parliament and I survived it – there was a time when I had to face my demons head on or die. I had 5 years living with no credit in the ’80′s but I managed to travel and be well turned out. Most of this was due to knowing someone in the BBC Wardrobe department, in fellowship, who dressed the stars then dressed me with their cast-offs. How that man saved my dignity, when I had no dosh, I will always be grateful to John dumping black bags in my direction after a meeting. " Who are you gonna be tonight ?

 

" Well, Matthew – STARS IN THEIR EYES – Tonight I’m gonna be . . . " 

 

On another occasion I bumped into Roy, a friend from way, way back carrying two black sacks to OXFAM. Naturally I enquired whether he was having another clear-out and he said yes he had more at home, so I asked whether I could view it before he chucked out. The next night he watched me sprawled on his lounge floor searching through his old jumble with the same dexterity as a child on a Mumbai rubbish dump. " He watched and said " How can you do that? . . . sneering as if I had done a poo in a public place. "Roy", I said "this is treasure". He didn’t get it, but I did, as I walked away with a few chosen designer pieces in a carrier bag.

 

One of the seminars I have created since then is called RECYCLE YOUR LIFE – Everything Is Valuable, and I illustrate how we need to cut back, reduce and recycle, re-brand our thought patterns and relationships. We also need to re-brand our thinking on austerity. This subject has been glossy mag fodder since the World Bank crash, calling second hand – Vintage and phrases like Charity Shop Chic. There is no difference in borrowing a friends jacket for the evening and finding a charity bargain except inflicted shame. Roy felt shame FOR ME as I ruffled through his throw-outs, knowing that he could never do it. We all have to watch this transference of shame from others, this dictate of power, this tool for making people feel inadequate. Families, employers and friends do it, often unconsciously, in their acting out of unhealed codependency.  On a prosperity workshop in the ’89 recession an LRT ( Loving Relationship Training ) participant needed money to get back to Poland so she asked her friends to donate their old clothes to her. She created enough money to return AND come back again. I always think of her shameless creativity as I still wear on occasion the Gautier T shirt I bought from her. Worn once and too small for one of her friends it provided me with more TREASURE . . . but this was before ebay, which is a whole new blog in itself.

 

Today’s exercise is to plan to ask all your friends for old cast offs and hold a selling event with a purpose. Become your own charity, they will give more if you have a goal in mind. Turning your home into a shop is the new restaurant in your own home idea, as austerity becomes chic again. If you can’t stomach this, brave the mullet for a bet and laugh all the way to the bank. Black Lace with Agadoo did.