Thursday, April 18, 2013

An Operation of Book Reduction

I have recently begun the process of becoming a minimalist. Now, I've never been a person with a debilitating packrat problem but for some reason - with the arrival of Spring, I have this urge to GET RID OF STUFF! Let's see what do I have that I don't use much. There is my ukulele, five tennis rackets, a guitar, a futon, a printer, an old laptop, too many clothes, too many shoes, too many books, too many towels, and TOO MUCH STUFF! I'm pulling out my hair in large clumps as a result of the abundance of stuff. So, I've decided I must ensure stuff is not so plentiful. Therefore I'm on a major warpath and getting rid of my worldly possessions and taking a vow of poverty and solitude. (Okay, I might be getting a bit ahead of myself here...)

Why get rid of stuff? 

Stuff is overwhelming. Stuff gets in the way. Stuff is stupid. Stuff is unnecessary. Stuff is fluff and you don't need fluff. It's liberating not to have stuff. I don't know about you but I like liberty (and life and the pursuit of happiness). Liberty is one of my inalienable rights as endowed by the US constitution and my lifestyle has caused me to put a constraint on that. I must put a stop to this madness! So, I shall. 

Today I did a small exercise and I got rid of 70 books - I now own 64 books (including text books which are professional reference texts). 

Rationale: Will I ever read these books again? They're heavy. They take up space. And, if I'm desperate to read them again, there is always the library - or a Kindle. I used to have books to ensure people would think I'm smart and then those people would say "Wow, you're sooo smart. I can see you read so much." Well truth is, I'm actually illiterate and I bought books to fool people. If people think I'm smart because I have a bunch of books well, they think too much. People will know I'm smart if I actually am smart. And if they think I'm smart, even though I'm not smart, then they're not smart for knowing I'm not smart. Duh. 

Do it. Get rid of your extra books. Face up to the fact that you're not going to read them again. Trust me, you're smart. You don't need a massive bookshelf validating you.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Impressive Icelandic Adventure



Trip to Iceland. Check. 

I have just experienced what one might call "a trip to Iceland." Yes, I engaged in my typical tom-foolery and bought myself a flight to that empty island in search of adventure. And, adventure I found!

I took this trip sort of on my own. Some people choose not to travel if they cannot find a friend to go with. I say "poppycock!" to such thoughts. There is always someone to travel with. You might not know that person right now, but you can get to know them if you choose. You can find these people in adventure groups or, in my case, on couchsurfing. I met a girl on couchsurfing, we rented a car together, split the costs, had dinner together a few times, went to the local soaking pool, and stayed in a rural cabin for a night. No, we did not become best friends but it was nice to have a companion. Before I took this trip, I was on my own. I had no one to do things with. But, I quickly remedied that situation.

Never stop yourself from taking a trip because you have to go alone. You don't. Be gutsy and find someone. Trust you instinct as to whether you would be a good fit. If not, you can ditch them. If your choice is don’t go at all if no one will go with you – well, you’re selling yourself short. And don't sell yourself short. 

Being Desirable

Most days pass by with few notable events. Even when one rides the bus and is surrounded by people who characterize themselves as "bus people" life just isn't always exhilarating. However, the other day I was sitting on the bus when a woman boarded with two young children. The young children boarded in front of her and she attempted to heard them to three empty seats in the front. The younger walked on to the bus with a hood on his head and an oversized backpack. He appeared to be about four or five. He then looked at me, gave me a mischevious smile, and sat himself down right next to me. Then the mother beckoned for him to come and sit by her because he chose to sit quite far from his mother (next to me!). In any case, this small child choosing to sit by me on a bus full of other people happened to make my day!