When I started this column two years ago, I had no idea if it would work. I knew we were heading off together toward the elusive goal of “simplicity”, but beyond that, I had no idea where it would take us. Or, more to the point, me. (No offense.) I certainly didn’t expect to achieve […]
The Not-So-Simple Life column
The Not-So-Simple Life: Are You Done Yet?!?
She said, “It’s all about the moment,” But I got one eye on the clock It’s all about the moment I got one eye on the clock She said, “Open up a little, You might see what you have got.” -Doug Hoekstra, “Everywhere is Somewhere” It is a fact of existence: most of our […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: Wishing for a Wee Bit of Weeble-izing
Oh, to be a Weeble®! Remember them? Those little round-bottomed plastic figurines? If you know Weebles, you probably remember their core philosophy: “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down.” On top of that, of course, Weebles don’t have jobs or responsibilities. They have no bills to pay, no passions driving them to overwork themselves, and […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: Getting Back in the Game
We’ve already talked about how I basically shut down or dropped all of my way-too-many commitments to projects and organizations around 5 years ago. When I discussed that time (in my column “Flashback: Shutting It All Down”), it was mostly in terms of minimizing my “to-do” load, so that I could focus on the most […]
The Not-So-Simple Life – Defining Simplicity
It’s funny – I’ve written 36 columns about seeking simplicity over the course of a year and a half, and I have yet to define what simplicity means to me, and why I seek it. Obviously, the issue has come up indirectly more than once. Just in my last column, I talked about aspects of […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: Deserting the City
The official story is that I did it for the dogs. “Leash freedom!” was our rallying cry. I tend to emphasize the official story, because the real story evokes John Denver, and banjos, and maybe a pair of overalls. When we (my pets and I) moved to Southern California two months ago, definitely the biggest […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: Life in The Big House
Which do you want first: the good news or the bad news? OK, the good news. I made it out of the storage trap, and in record time! Thank you, thank you…you’re too kind. (I assume you’re applauding. If not, my bad—I’ll wait ‘til your hands are free.) What’s that you say? Oh right, the […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: The Storage Trap
We’ve all seen this scene: There is a jungle path, down which strolls a naïve protagonist—probably wearing a pith helmet or safari hat, and definitely wearing khaki. Said protagonist is ever-busy gazing at the jungle wonders, checking his trail map, and being on alert for poisonous snakes and head-sized mosquitoes. As such, it’s a […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: The Double Shake-Up
— Long Version — Does the universe actually send us signs? I really don’t know. I’m a believer in science, and as far as I know, scientists haven’t discovered the universe actually communicating with individuals (aside from the occasional strike of lightning to the head, and that piece of toast that had Jay Leno’s face […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: My Own Worst Frenemy
No one is a bigger supporter of myself than I am. No one is a bigger saboteur of myself than I am. Funny how those two statements almost sound the same if you say them fast. Self-sabotage is a subject I’ve wanted to tackle in this column for a while now—but let’s face it, it’s […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: Deciding to Be Caught Up
As an adult, I’ve never had much trouble understanding that mistakes from the past can’t be changed. The present is really all we have to work with when it comes to building the future. You can’t fix what happened before, and you can’t re-do what’s already been done. Simple as that. Of course, things aren’t […]
The Not-So-Simple Life: Rules for Keeping Your Head Cool in a Disaster (and in Life)
Hardship and loss have a way of adjusting one’s focus when it comes to what really matters. Sometimes life presents you with challenges that require all that you have to give—and sometimes way more than that. At least it can sure seem that way. If you’ve ever faced a true housing or job crisis with […]