The Key to a Simple Life

Last week, my wife and I were broke. Our checking accounts were bounced and savings completely depleted. From Monday until Thursday we were living on $15 in cash and we needed diapers. Thankfully, the boys did not get sick and Erica was on vacation. The money was so tight that I went to shops to sell my guitars.

I learned a lesson through it all about living simply. Especially when I went to sell a guitar. I have two electrics, two acoustics, two basses, and one 12 string. I havent even taken my telecaster out of the case in nearly a year. Two weeks ago, Erica and I moved into the new apartment and I realized we have way to much junk. I collect alot of junk. Our lives collect alot of junk.

I think there is deep meaning in the discipline of living simply. I don’t mean ascetism or being frugal, but simple. When I was broke last week, I calculated how  much it would take for our family to bring in an income of $60,000 a year. sixty grand a year is the average family income for my demographic in the city we live.

The major part of living simple is not in the money wealth one accumulates, but the junk one removes from his or her life. I have unpacked three large bookshelves of books and still have a couple more boxes to go. I don’t need that many books. I can either A) sell the books if I need the money or B) give them to a library or a friend who could use it. A book, after all, is only paper with ink on it.