Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Living Simply and the Irony

First things first, I haven't run since my first 5K race on Saturday, cuz of my bum knee and I miss it. I miss striving for a goal, pushing myself harder and I miss the time alone with my limited thoughts. I hope to run again soon, I really don't want to permanently injury myself so it is taking every ounce of my being to just sit and not run, perhaps tomorrow I will try it out again, or maybe I'll wait until Thursday, I really want to run and not stop again.

Paul and I just finished a documentary called "180 degrees South". It incorporates, what I am sure is a small portion of the lives of the creators of the patagonia clothing company and North Face companies and merges with the climbing aspirations and dreams of a fellow "dirt bag" (meaning someone who can live out of their car or back pack and just lives and works to surf or climb or just live to do things with the earth). The creators of these multi million dollar companies and this one guy have a lot in common though decades separate them in age years. It was amazing to see, I am sure these men are billionaires but yet choose to continue to "live simply" and give back to the earth by means of restoration to remote parts of Chile, namely, Patagonia. I won't recount the story line by any means, but it is definitely worth seeing, especially if you feel like making yourself seem small and having it point in your face what you do everyday really isn't anything, in the grand scheme of things, its just getting out of bed and going to work. You aren't noticing enough or much about the world around you, as you lounge on your newly purchased patio set from Target on the comfort of your nice patio in the evening dusk on your laptop, as I am doing right now.

Live Simply is really the message from this documentary. I'm not going to get all philosophical on how deep this message really is, but just how in less than two hours it impacted me, to make real change I am almost sure not, but the impact is there, and maybe over time it might change something within me. I admire these fellows and how they can live simply, Yvon (the founder of Patagonia company) said in this film that people often complicate living simply, it can be a very complicated and difficult thing if you just don't get it. How true. The first thing I thought of was how you can buy Live Simply signs to hang in your house, to decorate your abode, you can purchase the phrase and the thing Live Simply for less than $9.99 at Gordmans or some other crappy store I have come to personally know as "typical American shelves loaded with bullshit items" store that is just filled with crap, total crap, they sell these signs about living simply, but nothing in their stores offer such meaning. Ironic? Yes. Or you can just live simply and never set foot in a store like that ever again.

You could go completely off grid and live off the earth, own 2 pairs of jeans, never worry about underwear and forget any kind of grooming whatsoever. You could also forget getting laid, although I'm sure, that because sex is a basic human desire, you could still find it some where, a little less sexy, but probably equally as gratifying, its amazing the kinds of people that are able to procreate, or just, get some.

Live simply could be as complicated as I want it to be. Dave Ramsey says to leave below your means, live simply means to live just above survival, it means to forget all the bullshit and return what the earth gave you, without even checking your credit score. I could buy a live simply sign from Gordmans and I would be doing the complete opposite of it's meaning. I could go completely off grid and live simply, but that sounds complicated, especially with a 3 year old. I thought of Joseph being one of these "dirt bags", one of these guys that just live and work to get to the next big swell, or the next great climb, find other friends with similiar simple goals and live simply, just be happy. Would he skype me and tell me all about it? Would I get to read emails about his adventures, maybe he'd get to pick up an old roatry phone somewhere in the world and try to give his mum a ring to update me. I'd just love it. If Joseph grew up to have nothing and be blissfully happy, living simply, I would adore the idea and him. Joseph has a keen sense of his surroundings, I wouldn't be surprised if he did something like that, he has a keen sense for companionship, friendship and emotion. He shows great love and I'm sure could share that with someone and some great things. What an adventure to live simply, to go off grid and just see where that day takes you, then the next, then the next. Never having to worry about some bullshit issue at your job that pays your bills so you don't have to live simply, but comfortably. Joseph could do it, and whatever he does, I hope that he does it simply and doesn't get eaten alive by laziness and "things" that drive society nowadays. I know that Joseph won't know what I mean when I say, "I truly want you to be happy", because that is the honest, simple truth. Happiness can come in many forms but it is long lasting and nourishing when it comes the simplest. If Joseph got to what gave him the most happiness in life everyday, I would, in turn be happy. I know I can create my own happiness, but I can also be fulfilled completely knowing that my son is truly, madly, deeply happy.

Happiness right now, might be that drum set or bicycle I'm looking at giving Joseph for Christmas, but a bike doesn't last forever, that smile becuase of that bike won't last forever, but that smile knowing there is so much more to life and to others and to purpose, can live on for generations. I don't think I could teach that to anyone, because I myself don't live it, but I know it exists, it is possible and it isn't such a bad thing to strive for it.

If this phrase "Live Simply" could be adopted by many people, especially in the United States, a lot of problems would be gone. Instead of buying a phrase, adopt it, live it, turn it into something so that when you leave this earth, the true meaning of it lives on, forever. I will try to live simply more and more everyday. Yes I am consumed by modern society, hell, I live in it and I actually like the crazy lazy conveniences, sometimes they are fascinating, but there are small elements of living simply I can adopt everyday, without having to go off grid. I don't want to climb mountains (Dear God I look down from 3 steps and I get woozy), I don't want to live out of my backpack (I love hot showers and feeling clean a lot), I have no desire to be a "dirt bag" working just to find the next big wave, but I do get it, I really get it.

I do understand Live Simply, and I admire those that do, how completely fascinating to have nothing but the adventure ahead of you.

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