A forced minimalist examination

They say your possessions end up owning you. I suppose that is true for a select few. If you are wondering about that then perhaps an evaluation is on your horizon.

I had a very lucrative work life. Pandered in Personal Relations and Radio for much of it, with writing becoming my focus a handful of years ago.

I did quite well for myself, especially for a single mother with no child support. I never accrued debt, not even one credit card. Never had assistance. Just built my businesses and supported my family.

And then I lost everything early last year.

Many of you have read my earlier accounts HERE and HERE. My children and I went from living in a million dollar home with all the toys to sharing a tent in the woods with a comforter and backpack of clothing each. Quite literally overnight with only a three day warning.

We clawed our way out of that wreckage, but then the rebuilding commenced. I felt like a University student, just out on my own, strapped for cash but needing all these little everyday things I once took for granted.

A kid just starting to build their life from scratch- except I had three other lives I was responsible for. And these three lives are strapping and athletic and consume a lot of resources.

I had royalty checks coming in, but they were quarterly. And under normal circumstances when you move into a place you find you need a whole lot of little things. Hangers, bathroom paper, curtains. We needed everything, from beds, dressers and chairs to cutlery, plates and brooms. The first night in a new place you order a pizza, right? We did too. But we didn’t have plates or even napkins.

Do you know how much you miss your pizza cutter when you don’t even have a knife?

The pizza cutter became the epitome of all we had lost. When we wanted garlic bread with our Italian but we didn’t have a toaster. As the toilet stopped up and could not be freed for lack of a plunger. When it grew cold and I spent every last dime on new shoes and wool socks for the boys and stayed in my sandals.

One could focus on the fact that we learned how to be resourceful. Take two chopsticks and secure them together with a twist tie to hold a piece of bread to toast over a candle flame. Butter, serve, repeat with new slice. After twenty minutes you have enough to fill three teenaged boys.

But it would have taken five minutes with a toaster.

Everything takes longer when you don’t have anything. And takes away from my efforts to earn money so we can make life comfortable.

The pizza cutter paradox. When you have little you spend extra time making do with what you have, which takes time away from making the money to get what you need to save time.

And you’re stuck in the cycle.

I suspect people looking to downgrade their possessions and live the trendy “minimalist lifestyle” aren’t true minimalists. They likely have hangers for the wardrobe items they chose to keep. And bottles of cleaner for their clothes and home.
They have a vehicle, or at least dependable public transportation and a bicycle. When they get a papercut there’s a bandage in the cabinet and aspirin a quick reach away.

And they surely have a pizza cutter.

It truly is the little things that matter. It’s the little things that make life.

Thank you for your support <3