How Can I Simplify?

I am very interested in this notion.  I like that the economic situation has seemingly made us all look at ourselves.  This is very similar to 9-11 when suddenly everyone liked each other.  I would actually smile and give eye contact to strangers in the grocery store.  However, eight years later well, I wear sunglasses whenever I can to avoid such unnecessary human interaction.

Anyway, I read this article where this woman packed up her kids and left her five bedroom home, all its stuff (including her husband) and moved to a simple cabin.  She grows vegetables, recycles, rides her bike and buys second hand clothes. 

I love this idyllic idea.  See, the problem I have run into is that I will have a Target episode.  I will take that car load of candles, diapers, tooth whitening, bean bag chair and gum and dump it throughout my home.  Only, to, find myself throwing it all away within six months.  It is a very empty and unfulfilling feeling.  Accumulating stuff so that I can show other people how much stuff I have?  What am I doing?  Or even worse, accumulating expensive stuff so I can show people how much better I am because my bag has giant C’s on it in goldish print? 

Ok, the point is I have started to take a look inside…inside my house.  I want to discover ways in which I can downsize my stuff intake.  My attic is filled with old furniture that we have kept in hopes that we will use it for our farm house…our getaway home.  I am not ready to give up that gluttonous dream.  We do all the PC stuff like recycle and close the refrigerator…but I want a windmill and a garden too.  I want to learn to sew so I can make our own clothes.  I want to bake goodies and walk my kids to school.  I just want my income too…for what though?

I am not sure where this self exploration into simplifying will lead.  But I am going to start this weekend.  I am going to go through all our clothes and see if any friends could use them and then donate the rest.  This is a good start.  I guess I need to start inside me as well as inside the house…wonder what I will discover.

E

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