My husband Bill and I have been cleaning up. We've been talking about it for years but somehow never got around to it. We've been making the changes slowly, I think it is called moving with one's bio-rhythms.
It began in late September when we finally revved the nerve to cancel our subscription to Direct TV. This meant that we would have no friendly boob tube to fill our home with on demand entertainment.
It wasn't easy making the break, even though we used TV for only an hour or two a day. It brought us the West Wing, LA Law, and Cold Case and a wonderful news station called News World International. When that station was substituted by another we thought, "Now's the time to cancel," and we did.
The only regret we've had was expressed on Thanksgiving when our son Thomas arrived and moaned, "You mean I can't watch football?"
With the ouster of the computer, we've been doing more reading; and when we watch a movie, it's one we've ordered, not one TV media has selected for us.
Another step we've been talking about was getting rid of a refrigerator, two Danish cupboards, and a set of very good audio speakers. Offered free on our local bulletin board, they went in the bat of an eyelash. Next comes the clothes closet.
So, what has changed? Not much apparently. Getting rid of Direct TV and some furnishings didn't simplify my life that much. Instead, I have been filling my life with all sorts of other busy-nesses.
Having joined an on-line community called Gather.com, I'm spending more time than ever in front of the computer screen. I've been spending so much time reading and commenting and connecting on Gather, that I actually had to make a New Year's resolution to limit my access and to get outside every day.
This should not have been necessary. I love the out-of-doors.
I've also been busy reading books on spirituality. Can this be a bad thing? Well, yes, if you work at it frantically as I do . . . as if by reading about spirituality I might actually become spiritual.
So, I added another resolution to my number one resolution about getting out-of-doors every day: To forget the need to bolster my spiritual knowledge by reading every book on the topic, and to learn to be spiritual by living in the present (the presence of God).
Resolution number two has been to go through all my books, to weed out most of them, and to release them through Book Crossing.com "a simple way to share books with the world, and follow their paths!"
The process is simple: You read a good book. You register it on www.bookcrossing.com, get a Book Crossing ID number and label the book "Free."
Then you give it to a friend, donate it, leave it on a park bench, or "forget" it in a coffee shop or wherever (the places are legion, limited only by your imagination, though airports and airplanes are not good places because anything left there is viewed with suspicion and might be tossed).
The person who picks it up is advised to release it again when they are finished. The book's journey through the world is tracked via its ID. Of course, there's the computer component: the need to make comments on the books and getting IDs and then being notified each time the book is picked up.
Maybe this last resolution means I'm only making space for more books on my bookself. I hope not. That's something I'll have to think about.
Published January 7, 2006 in the Cook County News Herald
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Comments: 26
When you throw something out into the Universe, like Jennifer says, something of equal or more value comes back your way.
I think there is also a Wiccan belief that for every thing you do something of like value comes back in threes.
Good on you for simplifying your life.
Undoubtedly at least one of the books on spirituality you've read told you that we sometimes speak to our inner consciousness--and the greater good--with physical activity. In a culture that fosters the false belief that the accumulation of lots of stuff validates our existence, I'd say your recent actions are downright revolutionary.
I've been without TV for 13 years. Well, that's not precisely true. I do pick up the local public TV station. I do not miss commercial television one little bit. In fact, I've found that when I do see some commercial TV, it seems senseless, insulting and agressive. When the commercials come on, my body reacts as if I'm being attacked! I hear there is some good stuff out there and I suspect that if I did have cable, I'd be a Sci Fi channel junkie, but that's precisely why I opted out. This short and precious planet dance we've been given should not be squandered on a media that is contrived to deceive, manipulate and numb our waking thoughts.
I had the same reaction from my dad when he came to visit for Thanksgiving. No football???? What could we possible DO with ourselves that weekend? Well, he enjoyed the good company who visited, helped my boyfriend with a construction project and toured an organic farm run by the most amazing and inspiring nuns on the planet. Oh, and he walked my dog and helped me bring home a fresh-cut Christmas tree. Better than a couple of afternoons of TV sports? Well, he'll always want to see his favorite teams play, but it was an appreciated change of pace.
I hope these beginning changes in your life bring you closer to your spiritual self. We live in a culture that finds such efforts scary and so may belittle your efforts but don't doubt it's a good path to explore. The reruns will be waiting should you change your mind.
While travelling through the rural, desert of Washington by motorcycle I stopped in a small community's store to un-crush my butt. I wandered the few aisles and found a row of used books.
I know you would do the same if your butt was sore and you love used books too. I found a 'must have' and went to buy it. I was told that it was an exchange book - we give, we get...
It was obvious I was not going to bring the book back and had no book to share. The woman told me to give it to anyone in some other place at some other time. Wow.
The book was The Hunt for the Red October, a hard back, red copy. I gave it to my friend Big Phyllis in 1995. Phyl always says to me, "You're a funny little man, David. A funny - LITTLE- man." She's cool.
We get, we give - we Gather!
I think you're doing a great thing for yourself. Especially the books. Reading is always wonderful and bookcrossing.com is an excellent way to send happy vibes out to the Universe:-D
That said, we also do not have cable or satelite TV. Just the good old broadcast stuff that's free. I had thought when the kids all moved and we could afford it, we'd get Satellite. Then I was incapacitated after surgery and too weak to read. TV was my companion for a spell. YIPES! It is way too depressing. (Thank goodnedss for PBS!) I opted for radio and no way will I ever PAY to get all that junk into my living room again. I don't need to tell you what it does to us.
Keep on sending out good and sharing, everybody. It makes the world a much better place!
I wish this was due to some overt decision on my part to simplify my life or seek some spirituality. It's more due however to my spending far too much time on the pooter and being in a coma by eight-thirty most nights.
But now I've found Gather.com and perhaps the inspiration to make a decision (any decision) will come to me through the wonderful writings of people like yourself. Thankyou for this article.
I also have way too much stuff. I pondered this once when someone stole a number of my CDs, DVDs and books. It was by shear luck that I discovered it and recovered most of the items. The funny thing was that I wasn't angry at the person (she had some real hard problems in her life and the theft was a cry for help). Instead I questioned my need to own all this stuff that was available to steal. Thank you for letting us know about Bookcrossing. I have a number of books to start spreading around!!
Have a great year Beryl ... I look forward to reading more of your stories!!
I've been reading The Paradox of Choice - Why more is less by Barry Schwartz. It makes me aware of how many choices we are bombarded with in this modern age. Sometimes cutting through the noise is difficult.
Tony, I often feel we need to complicate before we can simplify. For me it was like learning how to drum. I started with a snare drum, at one point surrounded myself with 14 drums and countless cymbals, and now I often feel more at peace with a conga.
'The cultivation of intuitive calmness requires unfoldment of the inner life. When developed sufficiently, intuition brings immediate comprehension of truth. You can have this marvelous realization. Meditation is the way.' [Paranahansa Yogahandi from my 'inner reflections" engagement calender.]
Fine article and many great comments as well. Have you written an update since you published this? Also, there's a song I'd recommend to you, in part because of your comments about reading books on spirituality. It's called Clean Edge of Change by Carrie Newcomer. It is on her Geography of Light album.