Yesterday I took Bus 7 to Fiesole and walked up the hill to the Monastery of St. Francis. It is one of my quiet places when I come to Florence, as the Feltrinelli Café RED is one of my noisy places. The monk’s dormitory is my favorite here at the monastery. Up the stairs and there there are the their cells, eight of them. It is all I need, except for heat in the winter.
The men are here again at the middle table at the café. At one end they are joined by a woman who is holding forth. At the other end a young girl, accompanied by an older man, is writing. They don’t seem to be aware that they are in the midst of this sacred space. Maybe it doesn’t matter. Yesterday I took Bus 7 to Fiesole and walked up the hill to the Monastery of St. Francis. It is one of my quiet places when I come to Florence, as the Feltrinelli Café RED is one of my noisy places. The monk’s dormitory is my favorite here at the monastery. Up the stairs and there there are the their cells, eight of them. It is all I need, except for heat in the winter. I dream of living there, as another person in another era, but also as me, transported, leaving everything behind, without a care in the world. This dream, like all dreams, can catapult me toward finding my bliss, discovering my NOW. The easy step to articulate, but difficult to carry out, is that I must leave my stuff behind. Not much will fit into my cell at the monastery. Without the stuff there would be less to do, less cleaning and straightening, less projects to choose from. Leaving obligations behind is more complicated. Would I really want day after day filled with silence, solitude and simplicity? For now this monastery overlooking the Arno valley and the Duomo is my muse.
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My mother used to tell us, “If you’re feeling down, just do something for someone else.” How true, Mom, how true. What to do on a dreary raining/sleety day? A good day to stay home and enjoy the silence, solitude and simplicity I love. And so I did. It was a good day but there were things to do. I made turkey soup, and that was fun. I finished the scarf I was knitting for my grandson, and that was fun. I wrapped his gift and one for my daughter, and that was satisfying because I’m excited about the gifts and want to get them in the mail tomorrow--but not really fun. It took over a half hour to wrap, write the notes, fill in the mailing labels, and seal the packages ready to do. Simple, necessary, satisfying tasks that take time! That was yesterday. Today I mailed the packages on my way to meet my sister for our birthday breakfast. Born on the same day, six years apart. The best way to simplify gift giving NOT to give any gifts. Oh, I know, that isn’t always possible, sensible, or kindhearted. That being said, we keep simplifying the Christmas tradition of giving THINGS. My husband never buy anything, because he has an uncanny ability to find the perfect gift at the town dump, more gloriously known as the Put-and-Take. The book stall is the only section open in the winter, but through the summer he stashed away treasures that people left off. I try to buy one special gift for my kids and grands. For the rest of the family, in lieu of a present, I made a donation to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) through my church. I received a card and a slip of paper explaining the organization I had chosen. My friends get a hug, delivered electronically or in person. For me today voluntary simplicity means not having plans that feel like the burden of obligation. In short, only doing what I want to do. Sounds selfish, feels selfish and without explanation is selfish. I’m pretty certain I am not the only one who feels this way at times. Letting go of ‘doing’ out the world can be selfish when not couched, for example, in an intention to lead a quiet, non-judgmental, prayerful existence. The world doesn’t need another busy (as in busybody), chatty (as in gossipy), or generous (as in consumer) citizen. And yet, when I step away from this usual busy way I feel separated from my social existence. Clearly, the world needs more people who love (as in everyone), forgive (as in everyone), and include (as in everyone). I can join them. I can simply volunteer to do that. Hum, what I’ve just written seems confusing. Well, I am confused. Please consider it as a idea in process. I have in my hands from the library Duane Elgin’s book, “Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity’s Future,” copyright 2000. In it he writes at length about voluntary simplicity, which was the title of his best selling classic in 1981. As you can imagine, it is the voluntary simplicity that has captured my interest. Elgin claims that living a simple life doesn’t mean just getting rid of material possession, although that can be an important component, but of living a life of ‘greater sanity and soulfulness’. “Simplicity is not about a life of poverty, but about a life of purpose.” I’m intrigued that it has taken that simple statement for me to integrate what I have been trying to articulate every since I started this blog in November 2009. Until now I have thought of simplicity as whatever is easy; but no, it is more complex than that. Striving for simplicity is about getting rid of whatever is in the way of one’s life purpose. Let’ face it, possessions get in the way. Physically, just think of the buying and putting away, the cleaning and fixing, and the decisions, such as which sweater to wear to the party, or which dish for the salted nuts. Emotionally, possessions generate guilt: the abuse of the environment; the sub-standard wages of workers; and the answer to the question of who could benefit from the money I have just spent on things I don’t need. I think about my life purpose all the time. Seriously, I am continually yearning and striving for a meaningful life. Oh, I keep falling, but I pick myself up, or more likely get picked up, and continue on. Years ago I came up with a mission statement, which continues to this day to be spot on for me. My mission is to inspire, affirm, and encourage others to find happiness and peace. When I live into it, I, too, find happiness and peace. Lately all our stuff feels burdensome. Not because of the guilt associated with material possessions, but because of the mental concern that as my husband and I get older, we need to get rid of stuff in preparation to downsizing or dying. However, it is not about future time, but about NOW. I don’t want to spend the NOW cleaning or clearing; I don’t want these aging years of my life, while I am still healthy, preparing for future years. Voluntary simplicity is about NOW. • Voluntary simplicity for me means simplicity of thought concerning possessions. • Voluntary simplicity for me means praying, meditating, walking, writing, reading, knitting, visiting, being with family and friends, and doing jigsaw puzzles. • Voluntary simplicity for me means living in solitude, silence and simplicity. • Voluntary simplicity for me means living my purpose. Yesterday I told my sister that I wanted to go live in a simple little cabin in Vermont (or a cabin by the sea). The shootings in San Bernardo make me want to run away, but more than that, and obviously connected, is the commercialism in this country. I hate it. Yes, I hate it. I thought long and hard about how I wanted to express my feeling, and that is it! My dad was an artist and loved beautiful things. Our home, which conveyed an aesthetic sense that was pleasing to the eye, wasn’t about money, however, but about beauty, always connected to the heart. It fed my soul. I’m cynical now, I know. The glossy magazines that come with our newspapers disgust me: all those trees for printing; all those thin, very young women suggesting a fashion that none of us can fit; all that extravagant jewelry to assuage the giver and receiver!. I can’t even mentally support the artist these days because all I see are dollar signs. I know, I know, artists have to live, but that’s another topic. So what about this little cabin? It’s not going to happen, but it can be a sign of a simpler life, where I don’t have to buy art because it is already there in the mountains, lakes, and sunsets, and where community is kind and gentle. Tonight, for the second year in a row, I am going with a group from church to the Holiday Caroling Night at the Concord Prison, officially referred to as the Massachusetts Correctional Institution. We had to register in advance and we can't bring anything in with us--no wallet or phone, no glossy magazines, no fancy jewelry—only our driver’s license. The beauty is to sing and celebrate with the inmates, community members and prison staff, and afterwards to enjoy cake and conversation—just like we do at any reception after a concert at church. No silence, solitude or simplicity since my last post, which is my excuse for not writing. Oh, I was alone on the ten-hour flight home. I slept, wrote emails, slept, read, slept, cleared out files on my computer, slept, watched the wonderful, 1957 movie, “An Affair to Remember” with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and slept some more. Then, for the weekend, I was steeped in community—preparing a luncheon for the family of our dear friend who passed away, and being involved in all the surrounding activities. Today is a regular day. After visiting a 93 year old friend I’ll have an afternoon of solitude. Deep breaths. Very grateful. Oh, but I’ve just decided to simplify by regenerating my http://lettingofstuff.blogspot.com/ It feels like weeks since I posted. Life has definitely not be simple. I couldn’t copy text from Word to my website, which sent me to the Apple store to ‘clear my cache’. That didn’t solve the problem, but I learned a little about what a cache is, and was told not to try to clear it by myself. “Come in and see us.” the Genius told me, to which I responded that I would be back in six or so months. I was also told that due to the 14,000 pictures on iPhoto, I was running out of space on my MacBook Air. I hate deleting all those cottage by the sea sunrises, but that’s a place to start, and so I have begun. I am aware that my life is made both simple and complex by the computer. I want my computer but I also want simplicity. At the moment my best solution is to clear my photo album and visit an Apple Genius once in a while. Can complex thoughts or situations be simple? As with many questions, the answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’, which is why examples help. Here is one that comes to mind. My home is full of stuff, definitely not simple to dust or organize. And yet, I try to I live simply among it all, keeping certain areas orderly, not obsessing about all the things around me, and searching for ways distribute what I don’t need to those in need. Simplicity comes when I don’t think or worry about it. Plus, a little out-of-sight-out-of-mind works well. The other day I read something to the effect that simplicity and time are connected. If I come across the quote, I’ll post it, but for now I’ll just make up my own thoughts about it. My first draft quote goes like this: Freedom of time is simplicity of living. Nothing profound here; the idea is so obvious that it may have passed us by. The negative way of talking about time and simplicity is to say that when we have too much to do and not enough time, our life is complicate and prone to stress. There are times in our lives when, unless we are a recluse or a hermit, we have too much going on—not enough time. We do what we can to eliminate some tasks in the hope of reducing stress. However, the life style goes on. The positive way of talking about time and simplicity to say that when we eliminate our habitual way of doing things our life becomes simple and relaxed. Sometimes we make big changes. I did this for the five winters I went to the cottage-by-the-sea. Once I got there I didn’t feel I had to do anything. I wrote a great of Very Grateful, not out of obligation, but out of longing. Recently I took up weaving. I wanted to weave as a spiritual practice, but instead the loom on the dining room table reminded me of another obligation. Self-created stress just sitting there. So yesterday I put the loom away. I eliminated the mental stress of one more thing to do after I had done what needed to be done around the house, and after what I really want to do, which is write. Maybe writing is my craft? At the moment, at lease the freedom of time is giving me simple living. |
Contact me: bobbifisher.mac@mac.com
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