I Simplified

In 2000 a friend and I were talking about another friend. I wouldn't say it was behind his back but more like John Boy lives like this when he doesn't have to. See John Boy comes from one of those privileged families and has money. But John Boy sleeps on the floor, doesn't have a television, has a few clothes, and lives simply. I bit. Just that mere thought of living like that peeked my interest and I made the decision to do some what of the same...

The first simplification was every electronic device except this stupid computer. I called the cable company and said come get your box because with 500 channels, I still can't find anything to watch. The tv sat idle for sometime before my sister came and picked it up. I downsized my stereo to only include the radio portion. I got rid of the alarm clock with CD player, the scanner, and anything else that required batteries and a plug.

Once I made the initial decision, I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. Even though I didn't think at the time that a weight was on my chest.

One year in college my father counted up my CDs in my collection. At the time I believe I had around 50 of them. He asked how much one usually cost and I said approximately $15. He said you have $750 worth of CDs here. I chuckled like any good youngest of seven spoiled child would and said with a smile "No Dad, you have $750 worth of CDs. He didn't chuckle back. The year was around 1994-95.

So you can image that when the year 2000 came around that I had much more than 50 of them. I go rid of everyone of them.

My family and friends freaked. Mostly they kept saying just let me hold on to them while you go through this phase. But to me it wasn't a phase at all. At least at the time I didn't think it was. It was ridding myself of materials, materialistic items in my life. Now, my sisters will laugh at that statement because I always have the newest fad thing for example XM radio. But at the time it made a lot of sense and today it still does.

Did I end up sleeping on the floor? Yes. I lived in an apartment constructed in 1918 and had beautiful hardwood floors. I would put down my nanny blanket and then throw my down comforter over me. I would cross my hands across my chest and tell myself to clear my mind. And peacefully I would fall silently into the floor and into the earth and sleep peacefully. Today, I sleep terribly and have weird ass dreams nightly. If I didn't like cuddling to the warmth of BF, I would probably be sleeping on the floor. It is better to be closer to Mother Earth.

When DVDs became the hot item, I started my collection of them. And then one day I decided it was time to simplify again. Again, my friends freaked. Just let me hold on to them until you realize your stupidity. Today, life is simple in a sense.

But probably the most important item I ridded myself of was a watch. My watch used to be a life line of sorts. I couldn't leave the house without the heaviness on my right wrist. It took a little while getting used to, but I finally did it. And this year when I placed it on my wrist every day for the mere instance of work, it felt like a heavy weight. By taking off the watch many years ago, I felt I slowed my life down. Sure I had a clock that got me to work on time, however; it wasn't a necessity to get me out of bed. I quit stressing about making it somewhere on time. I mean if I had an appointment, I would get there on time. But time wasn't an essence to me. I was living in the moment every day and so two minutes from now or two minutes ago didn't mean a damn thing to me. There was nothing I could change or do to change those minutes before or soon. I was living in the now and it became my motto. As I read in a book "The Miracle of Mindfulness", you must think about what you are doing presently than what you are going to do afterwards. By doing so, you were actually experiencing that instance. In doing so, it put a smile on my face.

As you might have read, I have lost my sunglasses (Oakleys, a pretty price) and my cell phone (not cheap either) in the last couple of days. I have been very irritated over the loss of them both. Each day I would go where I think they were and go through the vehicles and every thing else. I was talking to Flapper today and she said sorry, but sometimes these things happen for a reason.

And all I could think of was SIMPLIFICATION.