More or Less
by Jeeni Criscenzo
Give me more.
I want more.
Fill it up, and then some.
I can’t afford it,
nor can you,
but if we hoard it
no one else will get it,
So give me MORE!
It’s never enough,
when you just want stuff.
But I don’t care if millions starve,
and the future is impaired,
so long as I get MY share.
So just give me MORE!
Because bigger is better
I must Viagra-size my world.
My car and house are super-sized.
I need more bathrooms
than occupants,
because I have so much shit.
But I want MORE!
Fill up this endless emptiness,
with lots of junk
and food that’s fast
and white and void of nutrients,
leaving me always hungry
for MORE!
Wal-Mart shoppers beware
when you price compare,
the hidden costs
of conspicuous consumption
are enslaving and degrading you,
for everything you think you own
continues to extract a price,
even when the shine is dulled
and your interest in it ended
it must be stored and insured
and of course, defended.
But for God’s sake,
give me MORE!
Like hooked junkies we clamor
for the latest craze
we’ve been programmed to enamor.
Whoever dies with the most toys
is finally free from their excess,
because
whoever possesses the most
is the most possessed.
So maybe we should just
change our tune
to –
Give me LESS. |
 In
2003 I saw a painting at the Ringling Museum of Art
that changed the direction of my life. Peter Paul
Ruben named his canvas, "The Departure of Lot
and His Family from Sodom", but to me it depicted
an old man being led by an angel into whatever awaits
us at death. Beside him an old woman cries while
he looks back over his shoulder at three young women,
one pregnant, one carrying a basket of golden items
and one who looks at him with adoration. His expression
says it all - he realizes that he cannot take anything
with him - not family nor riches nor fame. We leave
with even less than we came with - not even our own
bodies can cross that final threshold.
Suddenly I understood the futility of spending my
life working for material things and the approval
of others. I decided to make some major changes in
my life so that I could spend less time acquiring
things and more time acquiring experiences, insights,
and relationships. Simple living, also know as Voluntary
Simplicity, has given me the freedom to pursue
my dreams, work for change in my world and have control
of my life.
If you're addicted to conspicuous consumption, as
I was, simple living will take some getting used
to. But it IS possible to own your own life if you
are determined to do it. Here are a few ways anyone
can start being a conscious consumer insead of a
conspicuous consumer:
- Get rid of all the stuff that clutters your life.
You are paying a premium in utilities, rent and
mortgage and insurance just to keep a roof over
everything
you own.
- Downsize to the smallest living space possible.
Value only the basic essentials you need to be
comfortable. Minimize the number of rooms. Think
of all the time
you'll save in housekeeping! It's so much easier
to keep just one bathroom clean!
- Stay out of shopping
malls, big-box stores and super markets. These
environments are designed to tempt
you to buy more than you need.
- Buy as much of your
food as possible unpackaged from the bulk bin or
your local farmer's market or produce stand. Learn
to cook simple meals from scratch so you're not
paying for packaging and "branding" and
you know what you are actually eating.
- If you are
not a vegetarian,
consider limiting the amount of meat you eat.
- Don't buy anything new - if you must buy something,
go to thrift stores, swap meets, garage sales
or classified ads. Find out if there is a local
Freecycle
group in your area. Read about the Compactor
movement below.
- Consider getting rid of your car (or if you
have more than one car in your family, try
to get down
to just one car. Walk, use public transportation
and car pool. You'll be doing our planet a
favor and tying up a lot less money in a vehicle.
- Turn
off the TV and cancel your magazine subscriptions.
Reduce your exposure to advertising so you
won't be tempted to want things you don't need.
- Think
about why you are making a purchase. Is it
because you absolutely need something or is
it
to impress someone else. What a waste to
have to spend
your precious life working to pay for something
that is going to make someone else feel
impressed or jealous!
If something will actually add to the quality
of your life, weigh the hours you will
have to work
to make the purchase against the improvement
to your life the purchase will make.
- Take responsibility for your own health.
By eating a healthy vegetarian diet
and getting plenty
of exercise due to walking, you are less likely to
get sick.
It
comes down
to this: either we spend our money
on supporting a healthy lifestyle and buying organic
food or we'll spend it on health care and medical
treatment.
- Reduce your need for insurance by having less to insure, except where it's required, such as mortgage
and car
insurance.
- Learn to live on the smallest possible
income. This means understanding your
relationship
with money and recognizing all
the poor spending habits that are eroding away
your wealth. Learn to live with less
and stop wasting
money. Track your income
and expenses and stop buying
things just
to relieve boredom.
- Get out of debt. If you have a debit card, you
really don't need a credit card unless you are
living beyond
your means. With the exception of your home,
if you can't afford to pay cash for it, you can't
afford
it.
- Don't eat out every
day, pack a lunch instead.
- Minimize your use of electricity.
Do all the practical things wherever you
are:
live in
a small house,
put a timer on your electric hot
water heater, change
all the incandescent bulbs to low
watt fluorescents, turn lights off when
you leave the room,
reduce the amount of phantom load
appliances in your
home (all
those convenient electronic devices
that rely on remote controls to operate. These
devices
constantly
consume energy 24 hours a day!).
- Compost your kitchen scraps, weeds,
etc. and if possible grow a garden.
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