My rich american bastard guilt manifests itself in odd ways

...such as keeping very old socks and underwear with holes in them and forcing myself to wear them. I always try to wear my second-hand purchased clothes into tatters(Although I don't buy socks and undies second hand). I hate the concept of buying new clothes, wearing them a couple times and then just getting rid of them. (Actually, I hate the concept of buying new clothes period, but I did recently(couldn't be avoided) and I felt duly guilty about it, thank you very much!) I have at times had items that I just couldn't wear so to goodwill they go, but those are usually hand me downs that I never wanted in the first place.

I think it's funny that I bug Matthew relentlessly about how silly he is for keeping all his old socks with holes in them, but then I do the same thing. Of course I insist on suffering through the day with my heel or a couple toes sticking out of the sock. The big toe sticking through is the worst, especially when I try to use it to keep the hole tucked under my toe, therefore I walk funny and my foot gets sore.

There has to be a better use for these socks. I always say to myself "well, someone, somewhere doesn't even have socks so who am I to just throw partially deteriorated socks away?" My grandmother has always used her old socks and undies and t shirts and long johns as rags. She has tons and tons of rags all cut up into neat little squares. But I don't have room to keep rags. My mother taught herself how to darm socks and so spent hours and hours darning one sock just to have it feel very uncomfortable under her foot. Can I make a rug out of the socks? I don't know, it's a thought that crossed my mind. Would that just be so beyond tacky that Matthew would lock me up in the tacky asylum? I don't know, possibly! And then, once the rug wears out what to I do with what's left? I think some people make paper out of their rags but it doesn't really work very well.

So, my burning, all-consuming question: what the hell do I do with all this old clothing that I can't wear? (I suspect that Rachel has a very Ukrainian answer for me=) I hope so)