A Simpler Way of Life

I want to return to a simpler, more thrifty way of life. I just don't think we NEED all the stuff that is shoved at us every minute through TV and internet. I recycle things. I want to make use of old clothes (braided rugs?), plastic grocery bags (cut them into loops then loop together into strands and crochet them into tote bags or door mats). I just discovered recycled yarn from sweaters from thrift stores. I compost yard trimmings and grass clippings and will use it to fertilize the soil rather than buying same. I don't want to and don't pay for cable TV. I listen to old time radio on otr.net (it's free - and it was actually before my time, but I sure remember early television). I listen to broadcast radio. I love libraries! Can you imagine, in a world where people pay to watch cable TV or satellite radio, that there's a place you can go and borrow books to read FOR FREE?? What a wonderful thing!

I remember a childhood where playing outside with friends, wandering the woods and fields, catching salamanders and dragonflies, picking wildflowers, building houses with stacks of leaves providing the partitions used our imaginations and creativity. There was no rushing off to soccer or dance lessons or gymnastics or karate. We entertained ourselves. We didn't dare tell an adult that we were bored. They would fill our idle hands with chores. We were happy just to be left alone to do as we pleased. We didn't care what we wore. We went barefoot in the summer. If our sneakers from school got too small, mom would cut off the canvas over the toe to let our toes stick out a little further. There was no money for new sneakers until school started in the fall. No one cared! I sure didn't. Mom patched our clothes when they got a rip. We wore hand-me-downs. Mom darned our socks. I suppose these things happen still in communities where families are poor and necessity rules their daily lives. I don't remember ever thinking we were poor as a child. In fact, I thought we were rich! We had good food on the table every day, warm clothes in the winter and a car.

I remember being anti-materialistic in the 60s. Does anyone else remember that? We were terribly environment-conscious. Littering was as frowned upon as smoking indoors is these days. It certainly is the antithesis of our consumer-driven economy these days. I remember, as a teen, needing only the following for my wardrobe: a few pairs of worn, soft jeans (nobody cared who made them), an army jacket and a few tee shirts, a pair of sandals for the summer and a pair of boots for the winter, and a knapsack. Life was good. Simple. Conspicuous consumption was NOT a good thing. Baking your own bread, making your own clothes, tie-dyeing your own shirts, growing your own food - these were valued skills.

Those memories keep reminding me of a simpler way of life. If you ever find yourself in a place where you struggle with wanting something you cannot afford, or feeling like you just can't keep up with all the latest techno-products because yours just became obsolete, consider pursuing a simpler way of life. You may find peace of mind.