Beware of the Simplifier recap

A good article was published in the local paper by Bob Caldwell.

He says that you can recognize a person as a simplifier by these four things:

1) they recognize that they have more stuff than they can use or need

2) they want to collect experiences rather than possessions.  ¨They realize that experiences, like education, is something that can never be taken away from them.¨

3) They find their stuff has become an embarassment.  

4) They are rejecting conspicious consumption, and are disgusted with retailers who turn every moment into a marketing frenzy. 

He finishes:

Will you join the ranks of the Simplifiers?  Will you embrace the thrift and savings, reject debt and consumerism?  Will you learn to shop in your own closet? Will you turn a cold and hard eye to marketing efforst?  Will you stop believing in empty promises of people who presume to know what is best for you?  Will you teach your children that, as consumers, they are targets?  

And the best part:

Will you teach your children that there is ultimately no true contentment and joy in things, but that true happiness in life comes from your relationships, experiences, and spiritual life?

He finishes saying that if you´ve learned these things, then the current crisis will make you strong indeed.

Amen!  

I enjoyed this, though as a Buddhist I would go further and say to enjoy good friendships while you have them, and don´t pin your hopes and dreams of happiness on other people responding to you a certain way.  In other words, be realistic about what you expect things will give you, as well as what people will share with you of themselves.

Nice thing, my mother shared that with me!  

Tomorrow going to DC for the Peace Corps career fair, and you can bet I´ll share what I get out of that experience with you in the coming days: two days of career workshops, and two days of federal and NGO international job recruitment, plus the chance to visit several old Bolivia friends and meet volunteers from dozens of other countries.  This afternoon I talked to my neighbor Janis Truex (partly about how the house down the street was there one day, and the next day was completely gone... looks now like they are building a new one there, though it explains why one day I heard very loud noises coming from that direction).  These things, the big RPCV--returned peace corps volunteer community-- is why I signed up in the first place!

Also especially good talking to Serena.  I will come back from Washington as fast as I can in order to spend hours and hours talking to her one webcam from Lecce, while she recuperates from her exams this week.