I want to share my thoughts but the thing is I don't really know where to start? That is why I will never be a good writer. But anyway here I am. So what do I think about minimalism? First ever heard of 7 deadly sins? Well it was written even before Christianity but nevertheless even Catholic preaches that. Second on the list is gluttony which we all know as eating excessively while the third is greed. Wanting more than we should. Anyway to cut it short even in Catholic we were told to live modestly. Be thankful with what you have. And I think it is safe to say that all the elders, irregardless of religion, are minimalists because they always tell us to buy only what we need. They always tell us not to waste anything. You get the drift. Minimalism only means do not have excess for good reasons. BUt then the world has changed. Especially in technology which makes life easier than ever. Technology keeps on getting better and along with it we had become consumerists more than ever. Excessive consumerism has given birth to people preaching us to go back to good old minimalism. I see their point. I get it. I like them.
Now for my back story, I was a hoarder but it does not bring me happiness. Out of all the minimalists out there I can fully relate only to Fumio Sasaki. There was even moments when I was asking why do I need to keep on living? Or why am I here on earth in the first place. So knowing the story of Fumio Sasaki somehow helps me. I took a charge and told myself that I will do my best to be minimalist, frugal and environment friendly as it is impossible to be zero waste. I even created a social media account to document my journey. I started in the middle of June 2016. But now I got to stop trying too hard. In the beginning I was happy with that "lifestyle" but I ended up unhappy as I cannot achieve the goal that I set upon myself. I have to stop and reassess my situation. But it does not mean that I no longer believe in the minimalist lifestyle.
My situation. I am an OFW in the middle east. I think 90% (or higher) of us here do belong in the sector with low salary. The said salary is the main reason why majority are on sharing accommodation. We all know that we do not have permanent (forever) visa here. Anytime someone could say, you need to move out of the flat. Or you could lose your job and might need to get out immediately. The lesser material possessions you have, the easier for you to move around when necessary. The easier for you to clean your space. We do not have the abundance of time and money. So why spend it on things. BUt as the title says I am bidding farewell to minimalism because of the obstacles I came across into reaching my goal.
It may not be fair for me to compare this country to let's say Japan. BUt I will do so, in trying to explain the unique situation that led me to this. In city like Tokyo, there are a lot of convenience stores that are walking distance. Those shops usually have everything you could ever need. They also have Daiso and Don Quijote. Now imagine a country in middle east. Whatever I need, I cannot find them in one place, in a walking distance. And I do not have an ample of time. It is easier for people here, but for an OFW like me, that is not the case. Then pandemic had come which makes everything harder than before. In other countries, alcohol is easily accessible. I drink once in a blue moon but some recipes require alcohol like sake and wine. When I had a chance to visit the alcohol shop, which is located in a very far place, taxi fare has gone up, so buying what you immediately need will not work. I bought the biggest sake. Some wine. They are now in the corner of the small flat. A messy place is never attractive but what choice do we have?
to be continued..
