i suppose its the moment where you realise your not alone, or that maybe your opinion is somehow validated by the fact that someone else thinks similar, but i always enjoy finding out that something i do is not neccesarilly me being wierd, but its actually part of a larger mind set, or way of living, or way of doing. Take for example my old fixie; when ian suggested we use a bmx lever because of its location and size, it just sounded like a good idea. but then, from perusing the legions on the fixed gear gallery i discovered this efficient solution is quite ubiquitous (assumedly because of its efficient/logical nature).

the same can be said of my newest discovery, the method of living known as "voluntary simplicity." once, an exgirlfriend of mine commented, upon initial sight of my room, "gawd, you dont have much; most people have tons of stuff." although i laughed, i remember thinking 'and i feel like i have to much...'

upon my departure from SF, i sold a dramatic percentage of my possentions, relieving my self of what seemed like the majority of the bulk (car, couch, chairs, 2 bicycles, snowboard (and gear), bed, 300+ cds, a huge pile of clothing, etc). with me came my laptop, my bag and one suitcase (involving clothes, and a scanner). now my possentions have increased to a(n inherited) bicycle, a guitar and one mattress. i suppose i also own some speakers, a table, some chairs and a few random items through out the house, but all these items have been found on the street, so i quantify them as "owned by the street" and for the time being, are only "under this houses supervision" untill they return to the system, from whence they came.

i like the description wikipedia gives for ones personal reasoning: "Some may emphasize an explicit rejection of "westernized values", while others choose to live more simply for reasons of personal taste, a sense of fairness or for personal economy."

heres one i remember thinking, when MTV stopped playing AMP and started allowing in the refuse they call programing (as defined by "jackass", which i will not dignify with a capital):"Most advocates of voluntary simplicity tend to agree that cutting out, or cutting down, on television viewing is a key ingredient in simple living. Some see the internet, podcasting, community radio or pirate radio as viable alternatives.

well thats for damn sure. i often get suprized looks when i mention that not only do i not have a tv, but i also dont read a news paper.

i get my media by choice, by the internet.