Getting from Here to There

In the last couple columns I’ve dwelt on what’s wrong with our lifestyle and in what ways we need to change, but I didn’t say much about how to get from here to there. You may have thought, "It’s fine for you to say that we should be doing work that is meaningful to us, and that we should try to become more independent of the economy at large, but I have a mortgage and other debts to pay and little time for growing food or puttering around in a shop I don’t have making or repairing things that I need." You may also need to work full time to get health insurance.
 
The ways in which we are trapped in our roles in the economy we‘ve been sold over the last two hundred years is so all encompassing that it can drive us to despair. Some of us are happy and fulfilled with our current arrangements, and some may be interested in change but for one reason or another are not ready to pursue it. Ready or not, these suggestions are still useful. It’s not quite so intimidating if we take small steps.
 
The first step is to think about where you would most like to be in ten years or so. Would you like to have a job closer to home, a more fulfilling job, self employment, a lower cost lifestyle that allows you to work less?
 
Gather information and learn skills; there are books and videos to look at, and people that are farther along the path you are investigating. Don’t worry about whether you have chosen correctly. The first choice may not turn out to be what you thought but it will help you hone your search. You really can’t waste time when you are learning. Take small steps; that way you only make small mistakes. I tend to spend too much time thinking before jumping into things. The longer I put it off the harder it seems.
 
One of the first things you need to do to expedite those changes is to start adopting lifestyle changes that save you money and time. You need both in order to get from here to there. Lower your indebtedness in any way you can. Don’t borrow on the future you’re not sure you are going to have. Be conscious of your consumer habits. Make do with what you have; some things can be fixed quite easily if you just give it a try. If you get a little ahead on the budget, start trying to make more time; think creatively about how you might be able to shorten your work week (see next paragraph). Jobs on the lsland often pay less than on the mainland, but think of all the time and travel expense you are saving! Making your house as energy efficient as you can is money in the bank. I’m sure most of you know all this already; the place we fall down is in actually carrying through on intentions.
 
And the health insurance conundrum: I’m hoping that Obamacare, for all its shortcomings, may give us the opportunity to get reasonable health insurance without working full time. Think of all the jobs that could be shared and personal time created!
 
Revive home economics! It’s your surefire entry into a non-monetary lifestyle. Focusing on basic needs/pleasures, like food and shelter, really simplifies your life and puts things in perspective. Besides the people in our lives, and what lofty ambitions we may have, the quality of our food and shelter are the object of everything else we do. You may be a billionaire, but if you don’t enjoy your food or your surroundings, what’s the point? Start a food garden if you haven’t already. Start really small so you don’t get intimidated. Cultivate cooking great meals from scratch from the things that you have around or are really cheap. KUOW has a show that I love in which callers tell a famous chef what they have in their refrigerator and he figures out how to put them together to make a really great meal. Michael Pollan has a new book called Cooked that explores the art of cooking and eating well and cheaply. When it comes to clothes or house furnishings, well chosen old things can be much cooler than shiny new stuff (again, nothing new to Granny’s fans). I don’t care how drab or meager your home situation may be; it can be vastly improved by giving it a little love and attention. The difference between garbage and art can be just loving application of skill and imagination. Take conscious creative control over your immediate surroundings and your daily needs; that’s home economics!
 
Hopefully, the joy gained by tending to your nest will lessen your need for other more expensive habits. Any of these that you can manage to give up will make huge changes in your ability to take control over your life.
 
Don’t buy into the life that TV ads are trying to sell you. Most of what they are selling is cars, getaways, fast food, and drugs; actually it’s all drugs.
 
Comments? terry@vashonloop.com