Over the past couple years I have had a longing for less, but in turn less would mean more. I am so sick of being dependent on the ever rising costs of oil and food costs and so on and so forth. And after traveling to the Philippines to bring our daughter home, I realized how much we really have, how much excess. Especially after just watching an episode of that show were chefs are hired by people in Beverly Hills. Yeah that one where they had to make a four course meal for dogs and then there was the botox party. The only part that got me through the episode was seeing how the chefs thought these things were absolutely absurd also.
But I digress. The point is we can really get by with so much less but us Americans have become so entitled that we can't separate need from want. It has really become a pet peeve of mine.
We just returned from a vacation in Florida where we stayed in a smaller 2 bedroom home, probably around 1000 sq feet or so and we loved it. Even though our house is bigger here at home, I somehow felt more overwhelmed by it when I returned. My 3000 sq foot home seemed smaller to me than the 1000 sq foot home-how can that be I asked myself?
Things. Things is the answer. STUFF. Things are suppose to make our lives easier but often it seems they just complicate our lives. The answer is to strip down. Not our clothes, but in the bare minimum sort of way. Strip. It. Down.
There is sooooo much crap and stuff in this house. I felt a strong need just to chuck everything when I got home and I did some stuff then I got bogged down by all the STUFF everywhere I looked and was paralyzed by it all. And not necessarily junk, just lots of stuff, ya know?
And STUFF and THINGS moves our focus away from what is really important in life- each other, our family, God.
Maybe what we need is not a bigger house to fill with more stuff ( and more rooms to clean and more hours to work so we can afford said house), but a smaller house. That thought has just blown my mind. It is so opposite of the American way of thinking.
I still think we need more bedrooms, but maybe not a ginormous living space. Our family is one that is always in the same area anyhow. We are not a family where everyone is in a different room watching TV, of course we don't even have TV( well cable or satellite I mean). We just like to be together. Most days.
The Hubby said to me the other night that we need some time together and how since we got home from vacation he just feels off. I could not have agreed more. I said I think we need to pack up, find a spot out in the country with a little cabin and move. We could have a big garden, grow our own food, live more independently(Wow I feel like a hippy. Minus the drugs. And the sex.)
Hubby was all for it(not the minus sex part,just the more independent living part), but likely more just in spirit
( he's not a very outdoors kind of guy). As in, "Oh that would be nice, but just in my head, not for real real."
I, on the other hand, am about 90% serious.
I long for a simpler life. I swear I could even do with out electricity, even though I would miss my fridge and microwave. My hair would look like crap with out my blow dryer too, but I could manage. It would be really hard to live with out the internet too, but I suppose I did it for the 1st half of my life, I could likely do it again.
Maybe.
I would even be ok going totally old school with having a fireplace in the kitchen to cook with. I do well cooking over the fire.
Yeah that's right. I am talking little house on the prairie here people.
It use to be more about big gov't as to why I wanted to live more independently, but now it's about simplicity and what really matters. Instead of the more, more, more, mentality try thinking less, less, less.
This all might surprise those that know me. I may seem a bit high maintenance as I try to always have my make-up on and hair looking decent etc. But I love the outdoors and nature. I always feel closest to God in the woods or gazing at a meadow. I see God's hand everywhere in the beauty and intricate work of nature.
And think if we actually did down size-no scraping by each month and stressing out. 1/2 of our monthly income now goes to our house payment. You know as well as I do that stressing about money leads to a very unhappy home for everyone. It's why most people get divorced.
So I encourage you too really evaluate what you truly NEED in life. What are the things that you could strip away to help simplify your life?
I leave you with these words of wisdom:
Remember, less crap, not more crap.
When you see that quote on a shirt someday, remember-it all started here people.
BLESSINGS!!
The Mama
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