Downsizing

We live in a country where bigger is better and the more you have the better you are. Or that is what they want you to think. They being the marketing companies and anyone in a business selling something. Trade in, upgrade, get something bigger and better seems to be the motto. Computers are ancient after a year or two, cell phones have turned into mini handheld computers, cars should be traded in every few years, and the list goes on. I don't buy it, and don't buy into it either.

This is also the time when the "we are exhausting our earth's resources" people will quote over-population and the need to not procreate or limit ourselves to one or two children. And yet, the houses are getting bigger and the families are getting smaller. It has nothing to do with the number of people being born but rather the fact that we are consuming products and taking more of the earth's resources per person than ever before. "We" are greedy and always unsatisfied with what "we" have. As in "we", I do not mean everyone, but rather society in general.

I try to avoid this whenever possible. I generally "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." My mom laughs at me because I still have a pair of pajama boxer shorts that I wore as a teenager...and still wear them every summer! Why not, right? We live in a small house with two bedrooms (though the playroom loft and office can be turned into bedrooms at some point) and one bathroom. This was the average size of a house in 1890 when this house was built (and the house has even been added on since, so was smaller when originally built) and families back then tended to have much larger families than today. Our cars are always bought used and when we "upgrade" it is to a ten year old vehicle instead of a 14 year old one! :) Our only cell phone is a pay as you go phone, with no extras such as texting or camera. We have no cable and "make do" with the limited channels that we get, which are free.

What is my point, exactly? That it is possible to live without these things! I know some teenagers (or even some adults) who would "absolutely die" without their cell phone and texting, or without cable. But guess what? You really don't miss what you never had. The reason I didn't take advantage of a bottom dollar price on cable this summer is because I knew we would get used to having so many channels and miss it when the price rose after a year. That is how they sucker you in and get you hooked. I, personally, can find something much more worthwhile to spend that $40 a month on rather than tv. I also find that with such limited channels we not watch television as much, and therefore spend more time as a family and doing more hands-on activities such as reading, writing, drawing, and using our imagination. Same with video games...except for a V-Smile game that their Grandma gave them and they have played maybe five times, we do not own a video game. Even the Wii, which is more interactive and physical, is still not the real thing. Instead of playing tennis in front of the television I would prefer my children to be out in the fresh air playing actual tennis.

This past year we have seen what the "bigger is better" has done, financially. People bought houses (and were approved for loans!) that they couldn't even afford. Credit cards are maxed out on "wants" instead of needs and families are struggling to pay the bills each month, but do have big flashy diamond rings or French manicured nails to make them feel better. I am not against these things, per say, but am against putting those things on a credit card if you don't pay it off in full each month. Wants and Needs are not the same.

The fact of the matter is that if you can afford those things, great! But we as a whole could fix a lot of problems in society by just doing without some things, whether we can afford them or not. The majority of what we have in our life is not necessary. They are extras, wants. We all deserve some wants in life, but when these wants start to get blurred into needs are when we are in trouble. These lines do seem to be getting blurrier and blurrier. If our teenager can't cope without her cell phone for a day than that is a problem. If we can't pay our electric bill but manage to go get our hair done that week, that is a problem.

I love being able to stay at home with my children. I also give up a lot of wants to be able to do this. But in going without I realize even more that it really, truly is the simple things in life that count. I have everything that I need and how could I want for more?