Discuss: In Lieu of More Stuff

What I’ve been amazed by most, though, is that the less I consume, the less I desire, and the happier I feel. Ironically, I have a much greater sense of “abundance” than ever before and I’ve never bought or spent so little.

Dear Friends,

Our planetary home is filling up with more and more unnecessary human stuff. Human mass is replacing biomass. Solid waste is piling up. Pollution is increasing. The Earth’s climate is being destabilized by the gigantic scale and skyrocketing growth rate of human overpopulation, overconsumption and overproduction activities worldwide.

At least to me, it appears the human community cannot keep growing in the unbridled ways we are now because the gigantic current scale and rapid expansion of human activities in the wondrous, finite world God blesses us to inhabit could become unsustainable soon. What worries me most is that many people do not yet even see what we have before us as a formidable predicament, let alone its forbidding and growing magnitude. From my humble vantage point, many too many leaders who do see the huge global challenges {climate destabilization is one of them} that could soon be confronted by the family of humanity have chosen not to speak of them, but to remain electively mute and in denial. Although I am an ageing old worry-wart whose sight is failing and faculties are diminishing, it is necessary for me to fulfill a “duty to warn” by reporting that I see the potential for a colossal, human-induced ecological wreckage looming on the horizon.

Hopefully, I am mistaken.

Always,

Steve

When I left with my daughter and her children to relocate her family to New Orleans this past December, I left on loan to an unemployed friend my digital camera (I almost exclusively use my phone to take spontaneous pix), my portable DVD player for when he is with his kids and my dremel tools so he can continue repairing things he already owns. Some of my other friends thought this was awfully trusting of me to leave these items with someone who doesn’t have a stellar reputation. First let me say that the DVD player was an odd gift from my ex husband and I rarely use it (I watch movies on my laptop), the camera as I stated is rarely used and is my father’s hand me down, and yes I do use the Dremel frequently, but the co-op lapidary shop I belong to has a half dozen I can use. So is the risk versus reward of sharing my excess in balance? I think sharing is more important than owning. The more I adopt this attitude the better people treat my loaned items and when something gets broken or lost I chalk it up to life. C’est la vie.

Living with a minimum of trappings and a lowered attachment to consumer items has left me a more open heart and lighter as I travel through our pre-apocolyptic world.

If you have heard all the noise about the limits on luggage in traveling ask yourself how well we would fair in a MadMax world where you only have room for a backpack for food and water and can’t bring all the so called must have luxuries of our modern existance. I am living out of a backpack and one small duffle. I started with four bags and have donated my way from California to New Orleans cutting my needed items in half. I have left behind books, clothes, a pair of good tennies ( I still have another pair with me) to underpaid hotel staff who were always appreciative. I secretly wondered if they knew it was me who benefitted the most. The only “souvenirs” I bought for friends and my son were regional spices and local wild honey from down the road where we are in Belle Chasse, LA. I assure you they will be welcome gifts for my loved ones.

Less is truly more.