Easily Satisfied
For hundreds of thousands of years humans must have been satisfied with a life with few if any processions, full of movement, unprocessed, simple foods, companionship, love [and war]. In the last few hundred years and especially the last few decades all of a sudden we have transitioned to a life filled with stuff, defined by mostly by dissatisfaction, worry and stress, a life we didn’t evolve to live. Although we have incredible levels of abundance, we only ever seem to want more and more doesn’t bring with it happiness.
Personally I count myself incredibly lucky, I’m both time rich and lack for nothing, I hardly ever buy anything but I already have all the comforts of a average western home, so I don’t need anything. As I’ve transitioned to a simple life I’ve been paying close attention to what’s important to me and I’ve realised that I’m never more alive than on a long hike in the hills, walking by the sea or along a rugged cliff. I’m never more engaged with life than when I pay attention to the ground under my feet, listening to the bird song and breathing the fresh air. Whenever I spend days like this I’m struck by how strange it is that we’ve become so detached from this natural life, so seduced by stuff that we’ve lost touch with the meaning of life. Of course not every day can be spent moving in nature, sometimes it’s pouring with rain, blowing a gale or too hot to move, but days like that are made for reading, writing, crafts, music and of course a few hours work.
Take today, one of the best days of my year so far. I cycled to Caffe Nero in Blackpool and read a book for an hour, cycled on to Cleveleys and had a wonderful breakfast at a beach front cafe. Cycled back to Blackpool and to the library where I read a selection of magazines before cycling home, eating a huge salad and working on my vegetable patch. Such a simple day, but invigorating in a way that a day of shopping never could be.
The photo is of a perfect sunset, viewed from the beach where I had breakfast. Could there be anything more perfect than watching a sunset with people you love? As an aside the wind farm is currently being expanded to the point where it will soon power the whole of the Fylde, the area comprising all of the towns and villages where I live.
