Thoughts On Living Simply

This morning on my usual walk around the land I thought a lot about living simply and what exactly that means. For many, it conjures up visions of washing clothes with a scrub board and tub, no electricity, not much in the line of technology and on and on. And some of that may be part of a simple life. But then "simplicity" takes on another meaning, lots of hard work and that doesn't seem so simple.
I remember knowing some older folks when I was a child who refused to accept the technology of the time. Electric windows in the car made them nervous, and later on when I was a teen, there were many who refused to use an electric type writer. I thought they were kind of crazy for now wanting to do things a bit easier, after all in my mind it made things much more simple. Its not the technology that makes our lives complicated and rushed, its how we allow them to take over us and rule us.
When we lived in Southern California, in a new big new house, tiny yard, surrounded by families where both parents worked and saw each other for a couple hours a day. Took the child to day care in its pajamas, brought them home after 5, fed them some fast food and put them to bed to start the whole cycle over again the next day. We lived where people had decorators "do their houses". New cars, excessive shopping, credit card debt beyond reason. We however, lived quite simply. Our little yard was not one of patio furniture and cutsie little landscaping highlighted by Malibu lights. It was a vegetable garden. Zucchini, corn, tomatoes, eggplants and grapes grew. Our children learned about the simplicity of growing your own food. Granted there was not much of it since the yard was the size of my living room, but enough that they got the idea. We bought our drapes from Sears Outlet. I was the decorator. We drove old cars and only my husband worked. Here were were in the middle of Yuppie-ville, living a simple life. We didn't live in a cabin in the mountains or on a sprawling farm. You see, living simple is a mindset, not land and animals.
I admit, we love living on our tiny little place here, having room for animals, fruit trees and a big garden, and from what we accomplish and what we have raised on this land people assume we have acres upon acres. I wrote an article once for Countryside magazine about living on less than an acre. Simplicity is not about where you live, its about HOW YOU LIVE.
If you are in a high tech area, living a fast paced life, stop and look at the things that are making you stressed. I guarantee its not the size of your back yard or lack of milking goats.
Its the running around, the spending beyond your means, the going after the golden egg and then when and if you find it, you still feel empty and beyond that you hear of a bigger and better golden egg that is just "to die for". Its never having down time, time to just sit and enjoy your family. The TV is blaring, the phones are ringing, the bills stacking up, no time to take a stroll with the person you love. Children more in love with the media toys we get them than family life. We loose them to another world and then wonder why they don't respect us. Are we respectable ? Do we put them first above the rush and drive that pushes us until we are so busy we make appointments to talk to our children. Are we strong enough to tell them "no" or do we just cave in with a simple uncomplicated, no fighting back YES answer since we are tired, exhausted from the life lived ?
Simplicity is all in the way we choose to live no matter where we are. Its a conscious choice to balance the technology in our lives with the things of real value. To chose to turn some of it off. Does the world cave in if, Sue down the street doesn't reach us on our cell phone to tell us that such and such store has a sale tomorrow ? Does the world cave in if the child has no X-Box or a computer in his room ? We would never think to allow our children to be under the influence of a stranger with as much hold as those two things have on our children.
I could make soap, spin wool, have a patio garden, use kerosene lamps, quilt, make my own clothes, bake bread, and cook from scratch no matter where I lived. As I have written before, simple living is a heart matter.
We have never lived the rich life, and its by choice. When we had a large income, it came with stress. So we left it. Went to the mountains of Oregon and left all the things of stress behind. One income was plenty to maintain our lifestyle. It still is. We are living on a income that is below the average middle class income.
We don't need more and its a fact that the more you make the more you spend.
Don't just dream about a simple life if thats what you want, just make the choice to live it, no matter where your home is.

picture is of my daughter Melissa thinking about her new life in Vermont as she looks at the landscape



Comments

Pam said…
Good Morning - I think you are very right Patty. I never really thought about things that way. I guess we live a very simple life as well. We have only one TV and computer - shared by all - NO video games allowed. We rarely go out to eat, I rarely buy pre-packaged food. We have a small garden of tomatoes and herbs in the summer. Seems to work well for us. I work only part time - I used to find that if I worked too much the kids started getting into things!
Pam said…
Thank you for reminding me of these things. I try to explain about the "golden egg" to my family but, like so much of the world, they believe if they had just a little bit more they will be happy...they never are. I on the other hand live a very simple life in my thoughts and within this very modern family. I raise my small garden, hang clothes on the line, I read by lamplight and sometimes the best conversations I have all day are with the dogs! On and on I could go about this...my son is the only one who thinks I am normal, because he is pretty much a simple person too. They are coming around little at a time.
People probably think that our kids are deprived because they don't have the toys you're talking about, or because we do say no to the wants (vs. needs), or because we have rules even for the very young. But I call them blessed...
Leah Spencer said…
Wonderful posting! And yes, I agree, simple living is anywhere you are - you just have to live the lifestyle.

I live in an apartment... but I still chase dreams that I can. I still can do my quilting, make wonderful dinners for my husband and I. Lovingly tend to our clothes and repair them as needed so we do not have to waste more money on clothes.

Even though my husband has lived more modernly, he certainly enjoys my homemade bread! And he knows that I strive to make home a relaxing place for him and to meet his needs. And he does share some "simple living" views - we don't replace our cars every 3 years!

I do miss having my dogs and my garden... but honestly, I never have been happier in my life than I am right now. I wouldn't go back in time and try to relive what I had. No, I'm looking forward to the future and more dreams to explore. :)
Kelli said…
Thank you for this wonderful post, Patty. Just what I needed to hear.

Kelli
Unknown said…
Patty, I think more and more about the simple life, Gary and I have always been a two income family but as you know the past ten months I haven't been working and we have found that our little family of two can do just great on one income, yes it takes some cutting back but we have realized that our love for each other and family and friends is what life is about..I am so blessed to have found all my wonderful blog friends..hugs Tina

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