Thursday, July 3, 2014

A Minimalist at Heart?

The American Dream! What is it? Who wants it? Does it even exist?

Recently, I have been pondering this more than any other time in my life. Questions like these are often existential in nature. They can often cause one to question where they are in life and which direction are they heading in? Is this even the direction for me?

For the longest time, I defined myself through my possessions and rated my success based on the material objects that surrounded me. I've always been an avid gamer and always have had to have the latest and greatest electronic devices. Maybe I have finally achieved what most refer to as "maturity?" Maybe I'm just getting old? I think more than anything else, I'm just tired of living in a system set up by someone else. It used to be I wanted to live in a big city with access to all of the modern convenience that such a lifestyle had to offer. Now I wake up every morning wishing I could be surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature.

Maybe it is being married to the girl of my dreams that has helped to change my perspective, but suddenly I find myself hungering for a different kind way of living that isn't tied down to the trappings and stress that can come from being ensconced in stuff. I like my job and career very much. I'm happy to be able to do something with my day that very rarely interferes with my life outside of work. We've all become so overwhelmed at the need to buy a house, have a mortgage, multiple vehicles, clothes we never wear, channels we never watch and food we never eat that ultimately goes to waste. Dealing with traffic, breathing and consuming poison, listening to others prattle on about bullshit  they think is important, but really isn't.

All of these things have created an environment I find to be toxic in the extreme. I have never been one to follow the crowd or to cave to authority and I resent the hell out of anyone that is critical of those that try to think outside the box.

This system we find ourselves in was set up by others that could not have foreseen what this country would become. I for one am tired of dwelling in that system. A system set up to favor those born into privilege whereby those with more can have control over those with less. It is this unbridled greed that has led to the demise of the American way of life and put that elusive dream outside of the reach of most.

I think I have come across a solution and I have to say of all the decisions I have made in my life, this one scares me the most. I want to see what life is like after having gotten rid of 90% of my material possessions. That includes guitars, game systems, DVD's, whatever. Even going so far as to pare my wardrobe down to just a few items. As it is now I usually wear the same pair of jeans or shorts for most of a week anyway.

Another step would be to reduce the amount of living space required for comfortable living. I want a space that makes smart use of the available room. I'm intrigued at the idea of off-the-grid living and not having to pay a mortgage or utilities. Along these lines, I have started doing research into "tiny house" living and construction. I had no idea the movement had gotten as large as it had. There are lots of great resources and web sites for those wishing to embark on such an adventure and for that I am grateful to the technology at hand.

I am not a handy guy by any means. The one design I am looking at in particular is called hOMe http://tinyhousebuild.com. I guess one can't have a home without "om" which is what initially attracted me to the sight. In my reading I was encouraged by that fact that it said most would be able to build one of these despite not having any engineering or building experience. There are many pre-fab options out there for the non-doityourselfer, but I am also intrigued at the prospect of living in something I built myself. I will try and keep everyone up on my process which I'm really hoping doesn't turn into something else a week from now.

I end with another question. What is it we really need (and I do mean NEED) to be happy? Is it the 4,000 sq./ft. McMansion that dwarfs the other homes in the neighborhood, the flashy car, fat wallet, big TV, big tits, big dick, big boat? Have we lost sight of what really matters?

S


No comments:

Post a Comment