Living Simply

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived…I want to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…”

One day in history, Henry David Thoreau left the hustle and bustle of everyday life to live by himself in a small cabin in the woods, situated next to the ever-quiet Walden Pond.  He left to truly experience life and draw as much out of it as possible.  While his unique outlook and way of living may not have been sound in their entirety, he made some very poignant points.  One, in particular.

“Simplify, simplify.”

We live our lives running here and there, never stopping to take a breath.  Our lives – at least mine – are filled with lists of things to do, lists of what’s for dinner, lists of gifts to buy.  Our lives are filled with stuff, both literally and figuratively.  But sometimes, we need to slow, we need to take a breath, we need to focus on the simple.

I greatly admire people who strive to simplify their lives.  I’ve watched and read about people who have joined the Tiny House Movement, and I think to myself how wonderful that would be.  Everything has an exact place, and there simply isn’t room to have many possessions.  There is something idyllic and idealistic about such a small space.  I think to myself, “I want a tiny house!  What fun it would be – an OCD person’s dream to organize.”  And then I realize that it would be unrealistic to have children in such a small space.  And where would my parents sleep when they come to visit?  How do people actually do this?

I have also heard of people who limit the amount of clothes they wear, usually for a particular season.  Capsule Wardrobes, they are called.  Pick a limited number of tops, pants, coats, etc. to mix and match over a set number of months.  If I were still a student, I would find this idea a little more plausible, but trying to teach with only one sweater and five tops simply is not going to happen for me.

Somewhere inside of me, there is a conflict.  I want to live simply, and yet, if you were to look in my closet, you would be astounded.  An old coloring book, my outer space book I made in 2^nd grade when Pluto was still a planet, a 6^th grade book report, my Spanish ABC book, notes from every English class I’ve taken since my freshman year of high school, old cowboy boots, several baby dolls, and on and on and on the list goes.  How can I get rid of such precious memories?

I have decided that to live simply is not a command to get rid of all my childhood treasures, but it is more of a way to view life.  I need to minimize distractions to focus on the elements of life that truly matter: my faith, my family and friends, and for me, my students.  I need to ask myself if I really need that new pair of shoes or if I simply want it – a very difficult task at times, trust me.  I need to de-clutter but still keep some of the memories along the way.  So today, I challenge myself to “simplify, simplify,” and we will see where this journey leads.