Utne Journal Response 2/24/99

The article to which I am responding in entitled The Stuff of Life. It was written by Scott Sanders.

Mr. Sanders starts out by taking us with him on a camping trip to the Rocky Mountains with his son Jesse. He paints for us a serene picture of peace and contentment that comes from enjoying the simple things in nature. A sunset, a waterfall, the night sky. These things are readily available for us and waiting for us to come and enjoy. Then the vacation is over and he begins to feel his shoulders rise from the stress of fighting traffic, from loud TVs and the need we humans seem to have to spend most of our lives trying to do at least as well as the neighbor next door.

He makes a vow to live a deliberate life that is not consumed by the desire to accumulate possessions. He promises to seek a life of simplicity. Never purchase things you dont need. Give away everything in excess. Learn to say no more often. He is worried about this fragile planet of ours in which the dominant species in its insatiable thirst to exploit is finding its once inexhaustible resources running out. He suggests that our ultimate happiness will not found in the shopping malls but in the place from which we set out, had we but eyes to see.

This is a story that has been told in many different ways. How many men lie on their death bed wishing they had spent more time at work? Sanders makes a good point suggesting that our possessions are in control of us if we must lead miserable stress filled lives in order to maintain them and accumulate more. Why is it that man seems to be constantly driven to obtain things bigger, faster, and better? Why is it that the measure of your success as an individual often boils down to the size of your annual income? Perhaps we should all spend a little more time enjoying things like watching a sunset, or the northern lights dancing across star filled sky with our spouse or our kids. These are things that we cant own. And they are free.

-- Anonymous, February 24, 1999

Answers

Ah yes, you, me and H.D. Thoreau! I agree that taking time to smell the roses is a wonderful idea. But, to borrow another line from someone else, "the world is too much with us". I think the hurry and rush of our current society is due as much to the fact that, as humans, we are aware of our own mortality. This awareness forces many of us, either consciously or unconsciously, to try and accomplish what we can while we can. Of course, this doesn't excuse our preoccupation with materialism. Perhaps someday a great philosopher will solve that problem for us. Until then- Lets go camping!

-- Anonymous, February 28, 1999

Tim: I can really appreciate your observations on this article. Your last paragraph really states the "bold truth". The real wealth surrounds us and sadly we miss it.Have you discussed this with your students? How do they respond? I'd be interested in reading some of those comments. Best Wishes! John Hansen

-- Anonymous, March 20, 1999