Hand me-downs

I stood there in line, waiting for the cashier staff to help the customer before me to pay for their stuffs. It was a family with two daughters. I guess their dad was buying new clothes for the elder daughter as I could hear the mom said to the younger one "No..You can have your sister's pants. They're all still look new." I gave them a warm look then I smiled.

I could see myself when I looked at the younger daughter. Why? Because I'm one of the millions hand me-down kids in the world. From clothes to shoes to stationaries and other stuffs.

That blue bicycle that could....until it couldn't anymore. I'll never forget my first big bicycle. It was a hand-me-down that trickled down from my sister, my brother and then down to me.

That jeans that could...until it couldn't anymore. I'll never forget I wore it even though it was so loose and I had to wear a belt. It was a hand-me-down from my first sister to my second sister and then down to me.

That lousy flowery shirt. Even though it was quite big for me, but I wore it. I'm happy to wear it as it was pretty. That lousy t-shirt, that baju kurung........It was all the hand-me-down junks from my sister.

I could say that I'm happy when my sisters hand me down junks and stuffs that they don't need anymore. Just as I have been given a new lease of life time and again, hand-me-downs can be made new with a little ingenuity.

Some years down the roads since those times, my wardrobe still holds a couple of hand me-downs. But not as much as when I was little as I have my own money and I can buy almost everyhting by myself. Plus, now my sisters wear bigger size of attire as they are all had put on some weight.

Well..nowadays hand-me-downs get a new lease of life called 'second-hand' goods. People have wised up. Instead of simply giving things away, they sell them off to recover some cash off their possessions and use the cash to purchase new items. No longer do we have relatives who would willingly bring in bags of discards. 'Second-hand' is our way of life. Thrift shops have also replaced 'second-hand' shops although their goods come from the same source - people who have gotten sick of their belongings and decide to sell them off.

A lot of thrift shops have been set up in third world countries. These thrift shops sell items at half the price that shops in developed countries would set for the same items. What is the greatest irony? Do you ever wonder where these items come from?

Anyways, there's nothing to be shamed of being a hand-me-down kids. As long as I'm happy, I'm okay with that. Are you a hand-me-down kids too?

Hugs and kisses,