Where have the simple things gone?

The title sort of starts me thinking. Always has and damn near always will.

Obviously these are my views and someone writing this same post from a shack in Khayalitsha, Cape Town would write it differently to that of a media mogul in a penthouse 24 stories up in New York.

People do exist in a simple way and bounce from place to place with little worldly possessions or restraints, sure I get that. Others need to clog their lives up with the latest gadgets and tangible things. I’m guilty of the latter.

Is any of it really worth it though? Does it bring us happiness, what does bring happiness? We all have versions of it.

The problem starts in my eyes with a roof over your head. We all need one and that is where we begin on the road to looking for a job and hopefully a constant stream of income. The cycle begins.

We get this roof. Some rent, others buy. We then furnish it and stock up the cupboards with food. A flat screen TV, computer, Foxtel /DSTV(paid tv), 40 pairs of shoes,cameras etc follow. I am not gonna list it all but why do they have to be stacked up? These things are not really always necessary.

So we got these “things”. We now need to insure them, we need to insure ourselves, the dog, the car, our income. You got a dependant such as a wife, husband or kid and you don’t have life insurance, then you effectively dropping them in a heck of a deep hole when your time is up. Responsibility breeds bills. These bills stack up like a house of cards all dependent on that pay cheque to help them stay stable. The higher the stack the bigger the fall.

We caught up in the cycle properly now, and possibly will be till we turn to ashes and dust.

This article is by no means an answer to the headlining question. Hell no. It’s just meant to provoke thought in myself. It frustrates and scares at the same time. I can never jump off this merry go round. I committed to it when I finished my last day of school as a fresh faced 17 year old. Fork in the road type stuff.

So leading a simple life means forfeiting all I have and I can’t do it. Maybe the answer is to lead a simpler life.

• Cut back on that which is not necessary.
• Invest in ourselves without spending large sums. Go for a a swim in the ocean, climb a big hill, go for a ride in the early weekend hours.
• Invest more heavily in the humans around us rather than those objects that require electricity and constant software updates.
• Volunteer to help those around you. An old lonely neighbour you aware of for a game of cards once a fortnight. A pregnant lady struggling to carry something to her car. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunity to invest even a minute of your time to help others. An act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness. No reward coming after the event can compare with the sweet reward that went with it.

Maybe this is the way it’s meant to be. Life isn’t easy peasy and I’m not asking it to be at all. I just wish it wasn’t so congested and frail. Perhaps I’m alone in my thinking, possibly a million others just like me. Who knows?

I’m going to give this simpler lifestyle a go and see what it rewards me with.

I’m going to invest in myself and my career by studying harder, getting interested in technology thoroughly. My body by exercising more and not being an idiot around the fridge. My family and friends. Not blowing money on things I don’t need, instead constantly shift this money to Thor’s education fund/house deposit or a big bouquet of flowers for my darling wife.

I’m by no means saying I’m going to stop all spending, quit my job and live a crazy life. That’s just plain stupid. I just want to try it simpler. I owe it to no-one but myself.

What do you think of your life and where you at?

stu