How To Live The Simple Life.

Image from the BBC Website

I watched this TV programme a few months ago, on the BBC, where Peter Owen Jones tried to follow the teachings of St.Francis of Asissi and live without money. This was prompted he said, by the fact that he felt caught up in the consumerism of Western Society, a victim of this way of living, out of touch with nature and with other human beings.

I was facinated by his experiment and so too yearn sometimes, to live my life in a very different way. Peter says that, human beings have broken away from the law of love that everything is created with love and is part of one family.

He pleads with us to give up being addicted to becoming strong, to status and asks us instead to make ourselves weak and vulnerable, as this is how we will connect with others. I cried with him when complete strangers gave him food, after he had waited outside shops hungry and begging. He exchanged work for food, a community based on reciprocity. He asks us to give much more in our lives than we do. I was struck by the sense of community that was evident in the village where he has his home.

I have decided that when I come back from China, I am going to put my energies into the community here at home, in some way. I have another small project that I was mulling over yesterday but was rather miffed that when I put it out there, my other half said that it was probably another one of my mad ideas that would fall by the wayside! Cheek!

Anyway, back to living the simple life, I have been a fan of Zen Habits for some time but have never really been able to take control at home due to living with others who like lots of stuff! Ok maybe it's not just them, I'll admit I do like my stuff too! Oh the arguments(never serious) we have had about my throwing out some old item of clothing, that my beloved is sentimentally attached to! Or about the stuff we never look at or use that is gathering dust in the attic! I think it's time to start some serious clearing out!

Today there was a breakthrough of sorts as I was clearing out the wardrobe and drawers in our bedroom. I was given permission to disgard several worn and tatty looking items of clothing that belong to him! Gosh it feels so good to have space again! I got rid of much of my clothing also and have a big bag ready for collection for the charity shop on Tuesday.

It's old news on the internet but I'd quite like to see if I could do what Everett Broge has been doing, namely the challenge of living with only 75 things. We shall see! It would be interesting just to count all my stuff (or maybe not interesting but more likely exhausting!) Apparently, and luckily for me, the challenge does not include books in your 75 items, phew! I probably have more than 100 old photographs which I guess is a bit of a problem to start off with!

Peter Owen Jones reminds us that human beings are no more important than other creatures with whom we share the earth. Thankfully, walking is bringing me back in touch with all of the abundance, the beauty of our world and the creatures we share it with. Playing with my camera and taking part in projects such as the August Break, is giving me a chance to play and be creative again! That all feels so much more satisfying than going shopping ever did!