Lessness

As in homelessness, car lessness, joblessness, loss of health insurance-ness, etc. You see where I am going with this.

With rising prices, many of us are going without things we were used to having. The other day, however, Facebook pushed the viral lead that at least one consumer praised the fact that she had a car to drive, roads to drive on, a home to return to and peace and calm in her neighborhood. The Ukrainians have none of this. So do a lot of other countries.

We Americans have lived a good life. More than adequate housing, food, entertainment, jobs, incomes and investments. The pandemic taught us how dear some of those things were. The pandemic provided time at home, time to think, time to avoid commuting, time to value family members, and a whole lot of other things. In short, the pandemic had a good side to it.

Oh sure, we complained about it, but then Americans complain about just about everything. We simply don’t appreciate all we have. We fail to see our blessings while all too many on the globe have very little.

Those folks suffer. But some of those folks celebrate the little things because they aren’t little. Love. Health. Family. Culture. Landscape. Climate. Community. Self-sufficiency.

Simplifying our lives can lead to many rewards just for the taking. Often, no taking; we already have them but don’t see them.

I am jobless because I am retired. However, I volunteer about 30 hours a week to SCORE.org. That work is a pleasure. It helps others start their own businesses. It creates jobs. It creates futures. Not every client succeeds, but no one can succeed unless they try. SCORE helps them do just that.

My brain is active and productive. I earn nothing. But I feel good!

I can’t afford gas, so drive less. This simplifies my schedule, time and expense. I have more time to read, nap and watch documentaries. Expanding the mind is a good thing. It is also pleasurable.

I still eat enough to keep me alive and enjoy most of it. Still, I gain weight because the simple life reduces walking and movement. So, I have enough food.

I continue to have a home but see the homeless in our community and region. It is frightful for them and reminds us of what we have. On the other hand, we could fall prey to their situation if we encounter similar problems. On still another hand, we have the opportunity help them. Community is one of those things that remind us that it takes a village to raise a child, and also to produce a livable life to live.

Community is the often-forgotten peace of American life. We cherish it when we experience it. It is what makes each of our communities unique. So let us live like it matters.

Because it does.

June 20, 2022

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