It’s no news flash that Americans are addicted to accumulating stuff, stuff and more stuff. There are many societal and psychological reasons for this behavior which most of us realize as a “flawed way of life.” Today’s reality shows about extreme couponers, hoarders and the massively obese profile the outcome of this behavior in its extreme but we only have to look in our own pantries, drawers, closets, basements, garages and storage sheds to come face to face with our own over the top accumulation habits. I think the simplicity of rural life combined with the practical conservative nature of Midwesterners serve one well in this area of life management but we can all easily identify a family member, friend or coworker burdened with crazy accumulation behavior. Did my husband, Paul, really need to set in a 20 pound emergency supply of rice and beans in the garage or buy so much wine because it was on sale? Do I really need close to 100 colors of embroidery thread or so much fabric that I have yet to find a use for? Yikes, it’s become personal and don’t get me started on the guilt I feel having just set up a second home in its entirety. I mean, weren’t we supposed to be downsizing in this stage of life?
My travel experiences related to “personal belongings” in SE Asia are tied to conditions in third world countries and they speak for themselves. As a westerner, the first question that immediately comes to mind is: How can people have so little and be so happy? In Nepal, we personally experienced what we would define as extreme poverty when we befriended our hiking guide, Pemba. He and his wife and three children live in a two room apartment with one communal bathroom per floor that is shared with other tenants on the floor. In this middle class neighborhood, cold running water did exist but electricity was sporadic. Their youngest son ran to the corner store to purchase a large bottle of Coke to share with their foreign visitors, an experience that appeared highly unusual and enjoyed by the family. Everything is relative and the apartment was a step up from their prior apartment (now rubble) and the community park they recently camped out in, with hundreds of others, for two months after a recent earthquake devastated Katmandu. With unreliable work in the tourism business in which Pemba makes his living as a guide/Sherpa, one disabled child and high fees associated with keeping their children in decent schools, their life appeared difficult to us but normal and rewarding to them. The realization that what we perceive as our own limited resources could easily assist thousands in third world countries leveled us and, after some due diligence, we quickly chose education as an area in which we could assist this family. Humbling is the word I use to describe this experience along with gratitude for the circumstances I was born into from which a new sense of generosity/giving has emerged for us.
Comparatively speaking, Europeans seem to have a different perspective on their “things.” Historic culturally driven values tied to quality craftsmanship and priorities associated with family and enjoying life experiences over materialism predominate. Their countries have smaller geographic footprints than the US and, as such, they live in smaller spaces with fewer things of much higher quality than most Americans. Based on what we have experienced, the “accumulate” and “throw away” mentality in the US is not the norm in northern Europe. At this point in my life, I am more drawn to quality and simplicity than in the past so greatly appreciate their lifestyle choices and hope I have incorporated some of them into our life at the lake. I will need to ponder this thought with respect to our new annual canning frenzy and an overflowing pantry. Hmmmm….I guess my coming home life remains a work in progress! 2018