Shackled by Must

I went to the Greenfield Village again over the Memorial Day holiday.  It was the Civil War Remembrance weekend.  I can't miss that!  As usual I got lost in thought and a yearning to finally understand simplicity.  This might be the real reason I like to go to Greenfield Village.  Maybe I really just like to get lost in the pre industrial age ponderings. 

As I was watching the re-enactors cooking their dinners over an open fire in the spring rain, I thought again that I am a man born out of time.  My joy would overflow if only I lived in a simpler time.  Yet as I allow that train of thought to take shape, I realize that being born into another time period would not give me the opportunity to appreciate that period.  Knowing me, no matter what period I was born into I would likely be looking to a time before that and longing for an even simpler way of life.

In fact, I realized that simple living starts with simple thinking.  It starts with a determination, a will, to live more simply.

But that's not so simple.

Here is the scene.  A man is rekindling a now damp fire in the rain.  His wife is stirring the pot and wiping the rain from her face with her apron.  Now, for just a moment forget about the fact that they are wearing civil war era clothing.  What are they doing that I could not do?  Notice I say "could" because, in fact, I would not stand in the rain....but I could.  And yet standing in the rain and cooking over an open fire, as much as it appeals to me, is in itself not simple living. 

Still, as I looked at the scene I have just described, I think it does point to something that feels a bit simpler.  The couple standing at the fire has given up a need to control their environment.  They have ceased dwell on the inclement weather.  Instead they have chosen to embrace the uncontrollable.  I wonder how often my complicated life has become complicated because I am trying to maintain control of everything.  It gets hot and humid so I retreat into the air conditioning, therefore I must have central air.  My stomach growls and I instantly reach for a snack therefore I must always have a snack close at hand.  I seek to be as comfortable as possible therefore I must maintain a good job and a high standard of living.  And with each "must" I shackle myself with complexity.

I know the scripture calls us to take dominion over the whole earth, to provide for our families, and God promises to meet our needs.  Still, I wonder what would happen if I made a list of "must's" and started letting go.  Maybe I'd begin to learn what real needs look like...and maybe life would be a little simpler.

Village People

It was another successful “Opening Day” at Greenfield Village.  For those who don’t live in this area, the Village was started by Henry Ford.  He brought in all sorts of historic buildings and created a living museum.  Click here to see more about it. 

It’s always hard for me when we go to opening day.  I take the day off work and we go, rain or shine.  Today it was wind…lots of it.  My favorite part is the Firestone Farm.  Yup, you recognized the name alright.  It’s the farm that Harvey Firestone, the tire magnet, grew up on.  Men in period dress use horses to plow fields.  They herd sheep, milk cows, feed chickens, and tend fields.  The women, again in period dress, make meals over a wood burning stove, wash clothes in a tub, plant gardens and preserve food of all sorts. 

It’s beautiful.

I walk away every year deep in somber thought.  It’s as though the entire scene is yelling to me that we, as a society, have moved in a direction that is not sustainable.  It’s funny that I would use that word.  Everything we read about today focuses on “sustainability” and yet, in the light of history, it is not actually sustainable.  Case in point:  there is a building near the front of the Village that reflects on the changes in farm equipment starting in the 18^th century.  We went from using horses to using horse powered machinery.  Then we moved into steam powered machinery and migrated to gas and electric powered machinery. 

Compare this to watching the gentlemen of the Village working the farm today.  They used draft horses to plow and harrow one of the fields.  The horses, being horses, spread fresh manure on the field.  A man walks behind them getting in his exercise for the day.  The horses do eat a lot of food, but then they also work to grow the food they will eat.  An added benefit is that, if you choose, they can breed their own progeny who will in due time take over the duties of the “older model”.

So where are we today?  Today we use dwindling fossil fuels to spread chemical fertilizers on our fields.  The farmer must then also take out a gym membership because he no longer walks anywhere…he rides.  And he must be sure to separate out a percentage of his income to set aside for the maintenance of the tractors.  I should also mention that he must also take out a percentage of that income to buy a new tractor once he wears out the “older model”.

I submit to you the two models.  Which is actually sustainable?

Purpose

I know; with all the blogs out in the blog-o-sphere why create yet another one? I suppose there are many reasons for me to create a blog. I'm not interested in keeping you up to date on the latest events in my relatively ordinary life. I'm not terribly good at being clever. Instead, I want to encourage you in a way of life that appeals to me, namely, the simple life.

You, my dear reader, are likely incredulous at this point. "Is there such a thing as a simple life? Is that impossible in this era of time?" Well, the truth is that my friends and family have, by now, calmed down from their laughing fit. No, I'm not sure I'd call my life simple; but that's the point. I'd like to. It's a goal I have.

So what does it mean to live a simple life? Well, to be clear, I'm not talking about a lack of activity or a lack of technology. In my mind it has something to do with relationships. As we've "evolved" or "progressed" in our thinking, we invented new ways to ensure that we don't have to interact with anyone. You don't have to look any further than the grocery store. As I place my items on the belt, I have a screen that explains to me what my bill is, minus the coupons. I scan my credit card and sign the pad in front of me. The teller hands me the receipt and says "Have a nice day." Done! At no point in this transaction have I made eye contact with her (whew). She's given me her script, but we've not actually communicated.

I am seeking something different, something more visceral. I'm seeking humanity. Does it still exist? Let's find out...