Of course, we are human beings and we need shelter. There are very few people who could live outside year round, especially in Maine, although it has been done. But we’re people, and people need shelter. We need four walls around us to keep out the cold, wind, and dangerous animals (usually other humans). We need a sound roof over our heads to keep out the rain and snow. We need a place where we feel safe.
But how much do we actually need? I guess it would depend on the person, their
age, and physical condition. The things I
mentioned above are the absolute basics.
There are additional “comforts” that can make life easier, such as
running water. It’s not necessary but it
certainly helps, although I’ve lived without it in the past. There’s electricity--the energy source that
really is the only thing that separates us from cave people--which is also
nice, although I have lived without that, too, in the past. There’s heat and cooking fuel to keep in mind. I’ve used wood for a very long time,
but electricity, gas, and oil are options.
Then there’re all the millions of extras: appliances and toys, television, internet, extravagant
possessions, etc.
But . . . how many things do we actually need in order to
survive and thrive? The answer is really
not that much. Yes, a sound shelter is
essential as is a way to keep it warm. Everything
else is optional, from plumbing, to electricity, to oil or gas, to internet and
television, etc. These are all options,
some more immediately beneficial than others, such as plumbing. But they’re still options.
 |
| A small, sound home fills most needs. |
When do options and extras become obsessions? When do they become goals in and of
themselves? When do we begin to have the
hunger to just acquire “things,” regardless of whether they are truly useful to
our lives and health?
Every child learns in grade school the basic needs of
humankind: Food, water, and
shelter. Everything else beyond that is
creature comfort, and while there’s nothing wrong with creature comfort, if the
acquisition of it becomes the driving force in our lives instead of the actual
living of our lives, then we have a problem.
Then we have a disconnect. How
much do you need? Your answer will be
different from mine. Remember, though,
that the question isn’t “How much do you want?” but rather “How much do you
need?”
A small sound home in the woods with a water source nearby
sounds pleasant to me. A way to gather
my food is necessary. Some community,
some trading, some social contact--these seem necessary for our health and
livelihood. A resource-based economy instead
of a money-based economy could change everything.
It’s all just musing, of course, but I find that the less “stuff”
I have or need, the more time I have for just being. The more I can just “be,” the less I feel
cheated out of life or that life is somehow passing me by. It goes so quickly, anyhow. Might as well take time to just live it.
