Walden Part 2

Ok, I marked more in Thoreau than I would have guessed. Does this mean progress is happening?

Here is another one I allowed my pencil to underline: "Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have."

If anything stuck out to me the most in the reading, this would be it. I have never really thought about life and possessions this way. In class we talked about how our possessions enslave us. This couldn't be more right. Paying for a car, an apartment, a cell phone, etc. can cause someone to take on stress and work more than would otherwise be needed. I know it does for me. In reality, I don't need many of the things I buy, yet I drive myself crazy trying to pay for it all. If only I could simplify my life, I would be able to live more freely.

Thinking about the cost of things in the way Thoreau does actually makes the whole thing more depressing. For example, if I buy a meal at McDonald's it will cost me almost a half of an hour of pay. WHAT?! Putting it that way really makes all the purchases I make on a daily basis seem absolutely ridiculous. How much of my life have I wasted on paying off my debts? How much more will I waste?

I also found it insightful to look at the cost of things not only in terms of work/time, but also in terms of energy. Think about all the times you've been exhausted, tired, etc. How many times was it worth it? For me, this is almost a daily occurrence and it is 90% of the time not worth it.

With that being said, I am going to take Thoreau's advice. I am ending this blog to go enjoy life and this weather. I am putting my energy into something else for a change......