Did we start working harder then invent machines to make that easier to do, or did we invent machines then decide to spend the extra time working?
I put the robovac upstairs and pressed the button, closed the door on the dishwasher and pressed the button, closed the door on the washing machine and pressed the button.
When I came home from work, the floor was clean, and the dishes and clothing washed. Then I resented the time it took to hang out the washing and unpack the dishwasher. Why? Because I was exhausted from a day of work and even the most simple tasks in my life seem difficult.
I did these things because I wanted to go for a walk before work. Just making that statement makes me realise just how wrong that concept is.
When we stayed in Italy, our accommodation for the month had a kitchen with no microwave, no dishwasher, no toaster, no jug, and no power point. We did not have a washing machine or a vacuum cleaner. We didn’t have an electric or gas heater. It took me about a week to go back to my cooking roots and feel comfortable boiling water for tea in a teeny, tiny saucepan on the stove. We toasted our bread in a frypan, buttered on both sides. I baked fruit pudding in a saucepan on the stovetop with a plate for a lid. We swept the floor with a straw broom and washed our clothes by hand. We spent an hour starting the wood fired heater on cold nights after we’d collected the wood.
You can’t rush if you have to do everything the slow way so having to do things the slow way contributed to our relaxation.
Yes, everything was harder to accomplish because we had to do it ourselves instead of pushing a button but we had time. We travelled backwards to a time when our lives were less frantic because people were forced to be patient. Things took time to complete. Life was good. Life was simple.
The technology we take for granted has made our lives easier but we haven’t used our extra time wisely. I sit on the couch and watch the robovac vacuum my floor and as far as I’m concerned, that is a good use of my time. Today I went hiking instead of vacuuming. That is what the robovac is for. For most of us, the time saved by using technology is spent working.
So, the million dollar question is – Did we start working harder then invent machines to make that easier to do, or did we invent machines to make more time then decide to spend that time working?
Here’s another million dollar question – Do we work hard because we want stuff. Or do we want stuff because we feel as though we need to reward ourselves for working hard?
I want to live a simpler life that costs me less. Then I can work less. Then I can live more. This means I have to want less stuff, have less stuff and need less stuff. I had plans to put in wardrobe shelving in my master bedroom, create a mural for my patio fence, redo my kitchen and repaint my townhouse. These things, I believed, would make me happy. But what if I didn’t do them and instead went to Italy for three months? Suddenly the material stuff seemed far less important. The money I was going to spend on this material stuff was used to have an experience I will never forget, that has made me a better and far different person than I was.
Not once whilst I was in Italy for three months did I think about what colour I was going to repaint my kitchen.
I lived a simpler life, in the moment. I wanted for nothing but wanted nothing. Instead of wishing I was doing something else, I was doing something else and it was wonderful. Is there a reason why more people don’t live their lives this way? It’s considered frivolous and irresponsible. I am supposed to be miserable until I retire. What if I don’t make it to retirement? I’ve been miserable my whole life for no reason. I refuse to allow that to become my reality.
There’s a story about a Mexican fisherman.” He pulls up at the jetty with some beautiful fish in his boat that he has caught that morning. An American stands on the wharf and asks him how many hours he spends fishing. The Mexican says that he only fishes enough to feed his family and give some fish to his neighbours. The rest of his time he spends sleeping late, fishing a little, playing with his children, take siestas with his wife,and strolling into the village to sip wine and play guitar. He considered this a full and busy life. The American asks him why he isn’t working harder, doing longer hours, expanding his fishing business and making lots of money. He explains that he could be rich in 20 years and then he could retire and spend his retirement sleeping late, fishing a little, playing with his grandchildren, taking siestas with his wife and strolling into the village to sip wine and play guitar.”
The Mexican had everything he wanted. Why is it necessary to want more?
