We all have weird things we think about that we don't share with anyone. Our own personal psychosis that keep the world spinning. Want to know one of mine?
When I am living my average day and begin to complain in my head about how tired I am, about how I don't want to make another meal, about weeding the garden, about getting the kids to school exactly on time (can't be early or the doors aren't open, don't be late or you'll get a tardy; too many of those results in brimstone, hellfire, and a threatening letter), then I relate to myself the hardships of my ancestors, as well as I can invent anyway. Along the lines of , "Eat your veggies, kids are dying in Africa!" but the historical mommy version instead. It goes something like this:
'How can there be this much laundry? If my children didn't have so many clothes I wouldn't have so much to wash....
'Back in the olden days people only had two sets of clothes, one for wearing and one for washing. They didn't have choices...
'Not to mention washing clothes by hand... how does a washboard get anything clean anyway? I should be glad that I don't have to hang clothes on the line to dry. With my luck my kids would pull them off and run them through the dirt...
Did women back then have carpal tunnel? There's no way I could do laundry by hand with carpal tunnel...My family would be the dirty ones in town, like Pigpen from Charlie Brown...'
So now you know, as I'm sorting darks from lights and stuffing them in my environmentally friendly washing machine, these are the thoughts roaming through my head. As I pour in the biodegradeable soap and push the start button I think to myself how my ancestors must be smiling down on me, so happy that their great, great, great-grandaughter doesn't have to use a washboard. Yep, I'm sure that's what heaven's all about.
As I get older I honestly wonder how people even survived in the 'olden days'. My body just can't do as much as it used to and I wonder how people kept themselves alive, not to mention gaggles of children. And I'm not just talking about in the US of A in the 18th or 19th century. What in the world did my ancestors do to stay alive during long winters in Switzerland. Honestly, how was anything in the Northern regions habitable?
All these crazy thoughts, based on the vast knowledge gleaned from National Geographic reading (as a child we had a subscription and now I read it whenever the waiting room has a new copy), are intended to convince me that I have it easy and in fact can survive another day.
But then I read something in my Anthropology textbook that blows my mind game to smithereens (frankly, it makes me jealous)-
People in the most simple economies (hunter, gatherer, simple horticulturist) work less than those in commercial economies (using money, like ours). Honestly and truly- we work MORE than our ancestors did. There is a simple economy in Brazil (Kuikuru tribe) where they only work 3 1/2 hours a day to keep themselves alive. I just drool thinking about the spare time I'd have. But then again it doesn't factor in childcare... but it does make my point. What the heck am I working so hard for?
The textbook goes on to say, "In commerical economies such as our own.. people seem to be motivated to keep any extra income for themselves and their families. Extra income is converted into bigger dwellings, more expensive furnishings and food, and other elements of a 'higher' standard of living."
Thinking back to my month-long vacation, we lived out of just a few suitcases. Now I look around myself and see the mass of STUFF and realize that I, and DH, spend the majority of our time taking care of, and earning, STUFF!
The axom, 'People are more important than things' has always been a solid for me, a no-brainer. But looking at my life and this society I wonder if it's all lip service. Time to clean out the closets and toyboxes, get rid of the flotsam and jetsom and donate it to those less fortunate...
...just as soon as I watch the new Project Runway episode.
I felt that way when we were in the cabin in the Uintahs. I looked around that tiny house and thought of my ancestors fitting all they had and kids in such a place. The idea of selling 95% of our possessions and moving into a three room house seemed liberating. Until I mentioned it to David who gave me a "is this the pregnancy talking and can I just pretend you didn't say that" look. But it is nice to think about.
Posted by: readerMom | August 27, 2009 at 10:20 PM
I'm all for getting rid of flotsam and jetsom, but not my washing machine! (It broke last week along with the dishwasher).
Posted by: Jules | August 27, 2009 at 11:44 PM
That was the perfect way to end the post! I love your attitude! I'll be thinking about when I'm tackling the huge laundry pile that's waiting for me upstairs. ;)
Posted by: Julie P | August 28, 2009 at 03:25 PM
This is such a fun post. Love your pictures! My mom, who was born over 100 years ago and grew up without electricity, said that she believed our lives are A LOT harder and more stressful today. Even though she worked hard cooking, washing clothes by hand, cleaning, milking cows and gardening, she said that women had fewer expectations (because Project Runway was not available, or t.v. for that matter). There was a greater sense of community, communion with nature, and a sense of family connectedness. Although I enjoy conveniences of modern-day technology, I believe a simpler life is something worth striving for today. The more I dejunk my mind, my house, and my life, the happier I feel.
Posted by: Carol | August 28, 2009 at 04:54 PM