新世纪大学英语综合教程4_Unit7

Here is a story of two people whose rebellion against the trend of the modern world went all the way. As Linda Weltner reports, Sara and Michael decided that the world was too much with them, and that they could live much happier lives without the myths of consumerism and the thrownaway mentality. One wonders just how many of us could make such a drastic change in our lifestyle.

Stripping Down to Bare Happiness

Linda Weltner

1) "What we're talking about is simplification, not deprivation," explains Sara, a

friend of mine. "It isn't that you can't do all the things you like, but you change. You don't like them anymore. Some of the old habits seem so wasteful and unsatisfying that you really lose your taste for them. So you still have everything you want – only on less money."

2) When I first met them, Sara and Michael were a two-career couple with a home

of their own, and a large boat bought with a large loan. They began to take an interest in the concept of "voluntary simplicity" with the birth of their daughter whom they wanted to raise all by themselves. Neither one of them, it turned out, was willing to restrict what they considered their "real life" into the brief time before work and the tired hours afterward.

3) "A lot of people think that as they have children and things get more expensive,

the only answer is to work harder in order to earn more money. It's not the only answer," insists Michael.

4) The couple's decision was to trade two full-time careers for two half-time careers,

and to curtail consumption. They decided to spend their money only on things that contributed to their major goal, the construction of a world where family and friendship, work and play, were all of a piece, a world, moreover, which did not make wasteful use of the earth's resources.

5) Today, they live in the same suburban community in a handsome,

energy-efficient home they designed themselves. Small by most standards, it is easy to clean, furnish, maintain and heat. The first floor, one large room, has a kitchen area along one wall, a birch table and chairs for dining, a living area defined by a comfortable couch and a wood stove, and a corner work area. Upstairs is their bedroom, an office that serves them both, and a bathroom. It is bright and light and in harmony with its surroundings. Soon there will be a solar greenhouse outside the front door.

6) How can a couple with two part-time freelance jobs afford to build their own

home, own a car, and share a small boat with another couple – all without a loan? How can they maintain a high standard of living that provides "everything" they want? What is it they have given up that they do not miss?

7) For one thing, they have given up all the expensive clutter – medicine cabinets

full of cosmetics and over-the-counter drugs they will never use; kitchen cabinets crowded with items they would eventually throw away. The one clothes closet Sara shares with Michael easily contains the basic items in their wardrobes, many of them well-made classic styles from L. L. Bean. "I'm constantly giving things away," Sara explains. By sifting and discarding, by keeping track of what they have, Sara and Michael have a clear idea of what they really need.

8) They do not have a dishwasher. The number of hand-thrown pottery dishes they

own would not fill one. They do not own a clothes dryer; the wet clothes, drying indoors in winter, eliminate the need for a humidifier. Sara's dark hair is short. She does not need a hairdryer, electric curlers, or a curling iron. Their front yard is wooded. They do not need a power mower or electric clippers. They do not own a TV, and so they and their child are not constantly saturated with images of new toys, new things, and new temptations.

9) They have exchanged the expenses of work in a commuter age – the extra car,

the cost of gasoline, professional wardrobes, lunches and frequent dinners out, and babysitting fees – or the time to pay attention to the quality of their lives. They have given up paper products, processed foods, expensive hobbies, first-run movies, restaurants, and paying for the services of others. In return, they enjoy home cooking, mid-week family picnics, library books, participation in community arts programs, thrift shops, and do-it-yourself projects.

10) "That yearning feeling that's so much a part of this culture goes on forever," says

Sara. "But it doesn't matter if you're making ＄15,000 or ＄50,000. There'll always be the things you wish you could afford. Money really wasn't the reason we changed. We did it for our own personal satisfaction, and for anyone thinking of simplifying life, there is only one basic rule: If it isn't satisfying, don't do it."

11) Sara and Michael lent me their copy of 99 Ways to a Simple Lifestyle, a handbook

of practical suggestions that can be applied to anyone's living situation. I read it carefully, giving myself high marks in some areas, surprised at my socially sanctioned irrational behavior in others.

12) That night, accompanying my daughter on a shopping trip, I came across an

inexpensive hand towel that matched our kitchen wallpaper, and a pair of "bargain" sandals too handsome to resist. When I stood in the parking lot, $11 poorer, no happier on leaving the store than I had been entering it, I felt like a child, helpless in the face of my own impulses.

13) It is a world of illusion, this shopping merry-go-round we ride, but with all the

action and excitement, it is sometimes hard to find the resolve and the courage to dismount.