Not so simple

To say I came from a college background filled with the necessities of life would be a gross understatement. Between rare furniture, an African tortoise, and a home theater system complimented with a DVD collection that rivals that of the working population, I kept myself pretty busy. As my hard earned, saved, and now spent cash waved goodbye as it briskly ran out the door, I casually decided that living on a budget may be good for me and my future.

Entering into the Dominican family with high hopes, I plunged into my year convinced that I could not only live on $100 a month, but save some money as well. It was going to be a piece of cake. Wow, am I stupid! Spending over two months worth of stipend money during the first 12 days of the program was definitely not the ideal start.

My spiral downward began when I realized how few clothes I had for work. I turned to the only place I knew in Chicago for some new threads, the magnificent mile. As my housemate Mark and I walked past the stores of the elite, most of whose names I cannot pronounce, Marshall Fields caught my eye. Even though I did not have any luck finding slacks I needed so badly, I couldn’t help but notice a discounted sport coat calling to me. Despite the look of disapproval from Mark, I purchased the coat that would look so smashing with the pants I purchased later at a thrift store.

Following a couple more clothing purchases, an uninsured doctor visit, a Ben Harper concert, and a handful of other charges, I sat down to evaluate my financial progress. I definitely needed to work harder if living on even $200 a month was proving to be difficult. Improvement came pretty quickly after that little awakening.

Within a week, I was well on my way to keeping myself within my financial bounds. A sly grin almost crossed my face as I thought how fantastic I was to give up so much. After gently stroking my ego for about a week, I realized that I had not made any real progress. I still looked forward to spending every dime of my stipend.

One evening, as I walked back home after purchasing some wine, thoughts of peoples’ lifestyles with whom I work began to linger in my head. For many of them, a bottle of wine or a set of matching clothes is something they only experience on rare occasions, yet they seem more content than I. Up to that point, simple living was defined as staying within the fiscal bounds set up by the program. I forced myself back to basics and pondered a fundamental question, “What is simple living?”

For me, simple living is not about reducing the amount I purchase; anyone can do that with little effort. Simple living embodies a paradigm shift in the way I live and how I view life. Ridding myself of the extraneous parts of life allows me to focus more clearly on essential elements of life such as God, relationships, and personal centeredness. The result will positively affect all four pillars of Dominican life. In addition, the absence of riches to which I am accustomed, even for a few months, will drastically heighten my appreciation for them should they enter into my life again someday.

Coming to this realization was difficult, but putting this plan into action will be ever harder. I will have to require myself to remove distractions and material possessions that have thrived in my lifestyle for many years. Now I finally see why simple living can be such a challenge. Whether or not I will succeed and the extent of that success is anybody’s guess. Personal victory or defeat may very well lead to a perceived level of mental uncertainty. Oh well, at least I will then fit in with the sisters and volunteers living in this chaotic world.