NY Times article on Graham Hill simplifying his life -- and why America should, too.

[SteveinMN]

Graham Hill (founder of LifeEdited.com and TreeHugger.com) on (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/opinion/sunday/living-with-less-a-lot-less.html?hp&_r=0)simplicity (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/opinion/sunday/living-with-less-a-lot-less.html?hp&_r=0) (registration should not be required, but...)


Intuitively, we know that the best stuff in life isn’t stuff at all, and that relationships, experiences and meaningful work are the staples of a happy life.

I like material things as much as anyone. I studied product design in school. I’m into gadgets, clothing and all kinds of things. But my experiences show that after a certain point, material objects have a tendency to crowd out the emotional needs they are meant to support.

[...]

My space is small. My life is big.

[MamaM]

Thanks Steve. :)

[catherine]

Great article! I love being inspired by people like him, Tim Ferriss, and Chris Guillebeau. I love my home, mainly because I've lived here for 27 years and I'm comfortable. But is that justification for overstaying my welcome here? Maybe I'd be happier selling or renting and living a little more free. I've always been jealous of my RV friends (loosechickens, where the heck are you these days?). And if I sold, I'd have no debt and could save (see Dying Broke post).

At the very least, I could start by getting rid of all the cr*p. I remember Scott Nearing talking about how his sister just didn't get the fact that in terms of dinnerware, he and Helen each had one wooden bowl and one set of chopsticks. But that was all they needed.

Reading articles like this make me pause.. Thanks for posting.

[Lainey]

Thanks for posting, Steve.
On a somewhat related note, I've been thinking about the old "live above the store" housing that was so prevalent in the old days, especially East Coast. I wish zoning laws would change to permit more of that type of housing. It would reduce ecological footprint, and offer cheap housing for start-up businesses or artists.
A few years ago I asked a r.e. broker about such housing in Phx, and he claimed to never have heard of it. I think this would give a real alternative for wanna be simple livers.

[Kevin]

:-) I just had this article and the Wealth Inequality video come across my Facebook news feed today within minutes of each other. I shared a link to my reflection in the other thread. It definitely raises some questions . . . but I see things a little differently with respect to ecological footprints and such.

- Kevin

[SteveinMN]

I've been thinking about the old "live above the store" housing that was so prevalent in the old days, especially East Coast. I wish zoning laws would change to permit more of that type of housing. It would reduce ecological footprint, and offer cheap housing for start-up businesses or artists.
Interesting ... here in Minneapolis/St. Paul (at least within those city limits; it's less prevalent in the 'burbs), the density required to make new development projects work financially pretty much calls for retail on the first floor or two and residential further up. Very common on new development here.

Personally, I love the idea of being able to walk a little bit to, say, a grocery store, a pharmacy, a hardware store, ...

[gimmethesimplelife]

Thanks for posting, Steve.
On a somewhat related note, I've been thinking about the old "live above the store" housing that was so prevalent in the old days, especially East Coast. I wish zoning laws would change to permit more of that type of housing. It would reduce ecological footprint, and offer cheap housing for start-up businesses or artists.
A few years ago I asked a r.e. broker about such housing in Phx, and he claimed to never have heard of it. I think this would give a real alternative for wanna be simple livers.Hi Lainey!

When I was in Vienna back in 1987, I was amazed at how prevalent this type of housing was there, and how practical and desirable this kind of housing seemed to me. I wish we could have it here, too.....maybe as things keep changing we may go back to this. I'm hoping so, anyway. Rob

[Dhiana]

"My space is small. My life is big."

Love this statement! Exactly what I aspire to each day :)

[Gregg]

...material objects have a tendency to crowd out the emotional needs they are meant to support.

So true. Thanks Steve!

[oldhat]

Thanks for posting, Steve.

[Lainey]

Interesting ... here in Minneapolis/St. Paul (at least within those city limits; it's less prevalent in the 'burbs), the density required to make new development projects work financially pretty much calls for retail on the first floor or two and residential further up. Very common on new development here.


I should clarify that I've seen some similar types of development here too - like an apt complex with a coffee shop and dry cleaners on the bottom, or some upscale condos with a wine and cheese place on the street level [like Chevront's, Rob!], or some new office towers with a deli or frozen yogurt place on the 1st floor, etc.

I guess I'm thinking simpler - the 2 or 3 story places with a hair salon or a florist shop on the bottom and apts above - something more basic and working class. Right now it seems you can't live where you work unless you're self employed in your own home.

I'd even go farther and say a lot of places would be safer with people there 24/7. What about a golf course with a tiny house for the manager and his family? or the horse track that could put a few tiny trailers on the side for live-in stable workers? Or can these large office towers carve out a small apt for the maintenance guy and his/her family ("the super")?? I'm just thinking out loud that there's a lot that could be done for cheap housing with a little creativity and change in the zoning laws..

[ApatheticNoMore]

His carbon use is probably pretty high with all that world travel. Someone who never travels but buys too many shoes or something because they like to shop and accumulate likely uses far less. Didn't Monbiot used to say we could get carbon under control and have all the modern world if we just gave up planes? (of course he was probably figuring in nuclear, which is another can of worms, but anyway those planes use a lot of energy)

[JaneV2.0]

... Someone who never travels but buys too many shoes or something because they like to shop and accumulate likely uses far less. ...

"Too many shoes" is a concept I find difficult to grasp, but otherwise I tend to agree. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/remake/biggrin.gif

Articles like these always make me feel like I'm being talked down to by some elitist know-it-all with limitless choices of how and where to live--unlike most of us--who has found The One True Way he can impart from on high. Maybe I'm just cynical.