Let the ’80s live

by Rachel Pugh
Weekender General Manager
Times Leader Director of Community Relations

When sorting through our closets and trying to decide what goes to the Goodwill store or yard sale, sometimes that little voice speaks up and says, “What if this comes back in style?”

It’s that voice that has kept me holding on to accessories, shoes, handbags and more for years. Don’t get me wrong, I donate a ton to our local Salvation Army, but I also have a hard time parting with a lot of accessories and clothing because “so and so” gave it to me or “I graduated college wearing that” or “These might fit me again someday.” And then the show “Hoarders” aired, and suddenly I’m preparing for a big yard sale this weekend, parting with the stuff I haven’t worn in years, some of which I forgot I even had.

The classics, well, they’re not going anywhere such as a few pair of trusty flip-flops and some basic tees. But those shoes I never wear and were hidden under a shirt that fell from a shelf probably more than a year ago, yeah, those are going — as well as the shirt. It’s a brand new me, out with the old and in with the new, prioritizing what is important to me in my closet and what is simply outdated and taking up valuable real estate.

And then I eat my words.

Once the armoire is approached, all bets are off, and I’m willing to let A&E approach me and put me on national television. My jewelry speaks to me, reciting very specific moments in my life, memorable vacations, Christmas and birthday presents, graduations and promotions and all of life’s little moments which are best remembered when receiving an antique marcasite ring from a loved one. How’s that for specific?

Jesting aside, there are just some pieces you simply cannot part with. And those pieces don’t have to be worth thousands. They simply might tell a tale. For example, I have an entire collection of earrings from the 1980s. Since I was in grammar school in the ’80s, the earrings I owned during that era were juvenile and not ones I could get away wearing today (even though my mom would be thrilled if I still sported the Penn State Nittany Lion paw print earrings). But fortunately for me, my Aunt Suzan was in her 30s during the 1980s and not only was she in her 30s, but she was also residing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Eureka! Nothing spells the ’80s better than Ft. Lauderdale, and to me, at the age of 10, this Florida city could have been passed off as heaven. Give me bright colors. Give me fruit. Give me parrots. And give me she did. I had all of these earrings thanks to a very giving aunt who knew her little niece wanted to be has hip as she.

I held on to a bunch of them, and rather recently, this same giving aunt must have done a little de-hoarding herself and she gave yours truly even more classic gems. And I just found all of them in my personal jewelry box. Score. With some even being clip-ons (come on, can you get more ’80s?), they are loud and outrageous, or bright and colorful or sometimes, both. Regardless of their design, they speak Stacey Q, and that’s a language I can speak fluently.

These babies aren’t going to be up for sale this weekend at the yard sale. This time, that little voice spoke up loud and clear. And it was singing The Bangles. I’ll take that as a sign.

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