(no subject)

[aadler]

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Some weeks ago I realized that I’ve modeled my daily life around that of a soldier in the field, in that I live out of a small space with few possessions. When I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, this mode of living was a practical necessity; back in the States, it’s just less work and less bother to operate with a minimum.

My ex-wife is exactly the opposite. Susan works hard, and surrounds herself with possessions … to the extent that they actually begin to crowd her out of her living space, reducing her quality of life and giving her less than if she had less. This isn’t my opinion alone, she’s beginning to express similar sentiments; she has so much stuff now, though, that it isn’t easy to figure out where to start in reducing it. This will require time, effort, and concentration. Progress has been made, but much still must be done.

It didn’t occur to me until a few days ago that, for a similar but separate set of reasons, my daughter has been living by the same model as I have. In her traveling drama ministry, she manages with even less than the Army standard of “two duffels and a ruck”. Being constrained by such circumstances builds a habit of focusing on essentials, of recognizing luxuries as exactly that. It makes me wonder how the experience will influence my daughter’s future actions once she returns home.

Small things can turn into big differences, and you don’t always know where it may begin.

Comments

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

I must admit, I sometimes think a small house fire would do us good. We collect so much stuff and it takes over so many rooms that sorting through it becomes a major issue. One of my beloved husband's few failings is that he is a pack rat. Getting him to part with things is practically impossible. Unfortunately, getting him to sort through and organize those things once you've given up the battle of divestment is almost as hard.

[aadler]

For all my minimalist habits, I fight the same accumulative impulses. I have a storage building’s worth of stuff that I never use, but have never gone through to sort and thin. Still, I genuinely prefer the convenience of living with less.