I read this Opinion piece over at The Globe and Mail with interest as the life-changing magic of making do is something I’m trying to welcome into my own life more. This is really interesting, and I’m trying to do this myself.
It had been annoying me for weeks that our lounge carpet has got some marks on it, and I was thinking of the job it would be to empty the room and get a new carpet, and how wasteful that seemed when there’s nothing really wrong with the one we have.
Then I had an idea, and bought a rug to cover the marks.
Problem solved. Money saved. And no carpet off to the landfill (or wherever dead carpets go).
We also toyed with the idea of getting a new TV last week, with an inbuilt DVD player, so it could go on the wall. Then we talked ourselves down, rearranged the room and kept our (perfectly good, working) TV. We don’t even watch much TV.
We’re so trained in society to just replace, buy new, upgrade for the latest model… I’m ready to get off the hamster wheel of buying*
I have a desk calendar with a message each day – it’s 365 Simpler Days and each day’s message is about sitting with quiet, having less, striving to be content rather than to amass more.
Today’s message is fitting:
More! More! is the cry of the mistaken soul. – William Blake
*Books are an exception, smart arse. 😉
