THE CASE FOR SIMPLICITY

Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed my mind turns to the question: How can I make my life simpler? I invariably look around me and see things I should get rid of or wish I could get rid of without causing an uprising among the natives. I’ve reduced my surplus considerably over the last twelve years in an effort to conserve energy, reduce cost, and take up less space. I tell people my ultimate goal is to reduce my worldly goods to what will fit nicely into a brown paper bag –well, maybe a small backpack. They laugh, but it’s not far from the truth. If I can’t take it with me when I leave the planet, or it doesn’t fill a need, why do I want to expend the energy and expense involved in dragging it around or having it take up space in my life? The more I downsize the more I’m convinced I want to live the life of a minimalist.

A few years ago I got a good lesson in minimalism. Two friends, both older women from my church, invited me to attend a women’s conference with them in another city. It was a four-day conference with a day on either end for travel and a spare just for fun. I was so proud of myself for getting a week’s worth of personal effects into a middle-sized suitcase, a carry-on tote bag, and a small backpack, which doubled as my purse. I was sure I would impress my two friends with my packing skills. When we got to the airport Park-and-Ride I was stunned to find that my traveling companions only had one small bag each!

We made our way to the bus stop and got on the shuttle. They hopped ahead of me and saved me a seat while I juggled and struggled with three bags. When we got to the terminal they kindly offered to give me a hand. They were both twenty years my senior, but I was clearly the one slowing us down. At the airport check-in I unburdened myself of my suitcase while my two friends opted to take their bags as carry-ons. This meant they were going to have to wait for me again after we landed, while I claimed my suitcase from the baggage carousel. This was not shaping up the way I envisioned.

After I got over feeling like Alice the Camel meets the Pony Express, I became really curious how they were able to get everything they needed for a week into one small bag. I was soon to learn the flaw in my packing revolved around my definition of “need.” With great interest I spent the next week observing them and their personal habits. The first thing I learned was they each brought only one change of clothes and a nightgown. All fabrics were, lightweight, wrinkle-free, no-bulk, easy-care, wash & wear. They had minimal cosmetics, a comb rather than a hairbrush and a small container of laundry soap. Each night they would wash out the necessities and hang them to dry.

These ladies could have gone on perpetually with the contents of their one small bag, only replenishing the consumables like toothpaste and shampoo. I, on the other hand, had a variety of bulky clothes, which required a trip to the laundromat half way through the week and the ongoing struggle to keep my possessions contained and orderly in a small space. Not only did I have a heavier load to carry, I had a much bigger job managing it. The worst was yet to come.

Over the course of the week we all collected goodies from the conference and picked up a few shopping treasures as well. My travel companions each produced a little nylon fold-up tote bag (which they had the foresight to pack as part of their weeks necessities), and neat as you please, packed up the things they had acquired since we arrived. They took the time to consider during the week, in a sort of ongoing cost-benefit analysis, what they were willing to carry back home, while I blithely and indiscriminately accumulated the contents of another suitcase. The last night in our hotel, they went to bed early and settled into a peaceful nights slumber, while I stayed up and sorted, squeezed, mumbled and cursed my collected treasures into a box I commandeered from the front desk.

It was a good lesson for me in the fine art of simplification. One of these dear ladies passed away last year and in remembering her and our trip to the women’s conference, I recalled a scripture from the Bible: Naked came I into the world and likewise shall I depart (slightly paraphrased). Somehow I think she was probably pretty comfortable with those terms.

I still work at defining need. Old habits are not easily disposed of. I’m slowly reducing my surplus and the amazing part is, the more I get rid of the lighter I feel. Attachment to our possessions (beyond our needs) is purely emotional. When we take our first steps to downsize we experience fear, hesitation, second thoughts, and anxiety. In an effort to mitigate our losses and lessen our pain we try to give our “stuff” to our kids. But they don’t want our “stuff” either -they’re busy accumulating their own stuff. The truth is, if you want to simplify your life you have to just bite your lip and do it. You will experience power and new-found control, and once you’re past the fear, there is a delicious feeling of lightness and freedom.

Anyone know where I can get a good backpack?

Post Script: “ Holding Down the Fort” seemed like a good title for a column about trying to maintain sanity in our lives while dealing not only with the struggles that are common to the human condition but the added burden of chronic illness. I hope to be able to lift, motivate, entertain and give some food for thought as we all make our best effort to hold down our respective forts. If you have any comments or suggestions about this column you can e-mail me at joyomyheart@yahoo.com