Shopping is awful. Voluntary poverty the go.

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 20 November 2004 03:55:55

My great giddy aunt, it's been a big week. So much has happened, I don't know what to tell you. Some of it I just don't want to recall. Some things are hard to write down. I'm staying in an ultra hip, wealthy community. There is a lot of really beautiful things in the shops here. This has not helped me on my path towards simplicity. Shopping is awful. It creates so much tension. There's too many things to consider. Quality, how long the item will last, do I really need it, beauty, fair trade, organic, aghhh! Mostly I can buy gifts for people no prob. I love it. This time I bought three bubble blowers. They were really cool no spill ones. They're not for me. They cost three dollars each. I was standing in the shop thinking, does God want me to buy these? Maybe not. Aghh. I bought them. Then I spent half the day feeling like I'd been torn in half inside, because I'd bought three bubble blowers. I had to come home to my Richard Foster book, Freedom in Simplicity, (which given the fact that I've decided to read every page from the beginning means that I still haven't finished it). He says buy things that are plain and simple, and good quality so they will last. Make things, re arrange what you have, buy at op shops. All things I agree with, until I go shopping where I see beautiful things, and am reminded of how ugly my house is. Foster also suggests that voluntary poverty may be the easiest option. That way, in one move, many decisions are made for you. There's no need to decide if you really need something. You just can't have it. I think he might be right. I wonder if it would work for me.