And back again.
On the subject of STUFF. Anyone who has read Tolkien will know that Hobbits travel light.
Every day humans are bombarded with images of things that we are told we need, desire and can’t live without. The notion of personal property has taken hold in the modern psyche and many can’t seem to shake it.
Would it really be a bad thing if we could design neighborhoods, detached houses, cooperative dwellings and so forth with a view to minimizing the amount of STUFF you actually need to move around?
Here’s an idea…why not just bring your items that you can’t live without in this world and move into a space that has everything else? There’s the usual things – fridge, stove, washer and dryer, food freezer, dishwasher, maybe a microwave (not a ME thing, but there are those that like them). But what if the space was already tastefully decorated (a subjective notion – I know) but came complete with dressers, a good quality sleeping platform, tables, chairs, pots & pans, dishes & cutlery…all the basics. Small appliances etc.
Since the end of WWII there’s been a concentrated effort to convince you that certain things are needed. You have to have a certain taste or you are not acceptable and so forth. You need this THING or that THING…it’s an industry called marketing. But it would definitely lend energy to the setting up of a parallel society and a decentralization of people IF people simply made use of what they already have. Or what was already there. This would lean into being able to pack and move having to haul very little come time to go from A to B.
There are a great many sustainable ideas out there now that are coming to the forefront. NO, not EV’s (a different rant altogether) but items such as smaller dwellings. More sustainable housing options. Alternative forms of energy.
One YouTuber that I subscribe to, Kirsten Dirksen does videos on a wondrous assortment of topics. From saving an old barn to growing your own food. One I’m very fond of is this one https://faircompanies.com/videos/wanted-common-area-for-people-not-cars-built-a-pocket-hood/ It’s a great study in putting together sustainable housing coupled with community.
What if communities (such as the small SK town that I live in) were to encourage developments such as this? What if developers were to focus on lower profit margins and smarter design? What if town councils were to revise zoning laws to promote more “multi-tenant” or “cooperative” dwellings? What if there were two or three different “hoods” to choose from in any given area?
The possibilities are endless…and as resources become more precious I think it’s time we all really put an effort into BEING the change that we want to see. Rather than just buying the t-shirt.
In peace and light
T.
