One of the goals of the YAV year is to promote the idea of simple living. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what simple living would look like but it turns out that there is a lot more packed into those two words than one might assume. To one person simple living might mean not buying name brands. To another person simple living might equate to not eating out. Another person might interpret simple living as incorporating composting into their waste management. And yet to another person simple living might mean taking shorter showers. The ways in which we simplify our lives directly depends on the way we currently live so all of a sudden the words "simple living" seem to take on a much more complex meaning.
I came into this year expecting to be challenged in many ways including living on a small budget. To me living simple means giving up many of the "normal" ways in which I am accustomed to living and substituting them for more environmentally and money conscious ways of doing things. Simple living to me also means living more intentionally and thinking more critically about pretty much everything. The clothes you wear, the food you buy, where you spend your money, how you manage your waste, and most importantly how you and your actions fit into the larger picture. In short, simple living means being aware.
It's funny how much this year has forced me to think and reflect about some of my actions. When you have a very limited income you are faced with questions of prioritization that might have never been an issue before. A simple example would be buying cereal - name brand or store brand? If I eat out this weekend then I can't buy that new shirt I want but if I cook at home, I will go out and buy that new shirt. I have to make decisions that I never really had to make before. I think part of that is growing up (living independently, learning what things actually cost, etc.) but I think a bigger part of mulling on these questions comes directly from serving as a YAV. Simple living for me has brought up questions of needs versus wants and ultimately has forced me to reflect on my privilege.
I went to the Post Office earlier this week and while I was waiting in line this disheveled looking man was waiting in front of me with a bundle of paperwork in his hand. He was called up to the desk and upon handing the woman behind the counter his paperwork was told that he was ineligible for a post office box. Upon this news, the man got very upset and tears started to well up in his eyes as he told the woman he really needed a way to receive mail. She told him that he could apply for general mail but was not going to be able to get a post office box without proof of residency. The man told her that he was homeless (thus not having proof of residency) and did not want general mail but was very insistent on getting a post office box. He had to be turned away and he left upset and embarrassed.
It was in that instant that I not only felt privileged to receive mail but privileged because I've never had to think about not being able to get my mail. Seeing that man being denied his preferred way to get mail really struck a cord with me. What other privileges do I have that I am unaware of? Isn't it a privilege to be able to choose to live simply? "Give up" the comfortable life? I have been chewing on these questions all year and the more I explore them, the harder it is to accept the way some things are in this world. It is also hard to not feel guilty sometimes about the material things I have and brings me back to reflecting on my needs versus wants. What a cycle of thinking!
This year has taught me to not only be thankful and appreciative of what I have (from simple things such as receiving mail to my closet full of wonderful clothes to the food that is in my fridge) but also how my actions ripple out into this world. It is human nature to be self involved but I think when you are forced to think more intentionally about everything you see how the world is pieced together in a completely different way. For example, grocery shopping can be a completely different experience depending on your access and income. My roommate works in a poor neighborhood known as Holly Grove. Most of the residents in the neighborhood do not have cars and the grocery stores are too far to walk so if they want to go they have to take the bus. Many of these residents work during the week so their day off (most often Saturday) would seem like an ideal day to go to the store and get food. The catch? The bus doesn't run on Saturdays thus many of these residents only have access to corner stores selling frozen foods and junk food. How much does privilege blind us to broken systems? How much does privilege separate the rich and poor so much that they cannot even relate to the problems being faced? I don't know the first thing about not having a car.
Living simply in conjunction with privilege has really helped me to push the envelope when not only thinking about the people of New Orleans but how I want to live my own life.
Lesson from the Journey: It hurts my brain to think about how beautiful yet how broken our world really is.
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