Student testimonial

It's not often that teachers get to hear about how they have influenced their students. Even more rare is feedback on workshops or short presentations. Today I receieved a lovely email from someone who was in a workshop I offered over a year ago based on my "Voluntary Simplicity and Anti-consumerism" course. That class was essentially an introduction to the anti-consumption strands in American culture that have co-existed with materialism from the very beginning. It was not a how-to course in voluntary simplicity; it was part history and part cultural studies. But as nearly always with the material I teach, whether gender or consumption related, the discussion often veered to personal experiences and choices. This is what my student wrote:

It changed my life.

I had a series of very hard conversations with my loved ones about how I felt my family’s consumption patterns were actually lowering our quality of life. After a year of research and planning, we purged about 90 percent of our possessions (including almost my entire personal library) in order to move from a 3 br house with full finished basement to a 2 br apartment. The book donations alone were roughly 50 boxes. I feel almost deliriously unburdened.

Sometimes I berate myself for not being more of an activist, not being on the front lines. But working behind the scenes is not the same as standing on the sidelines, is it?

Janustide - my six days of intention

For years now, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day has been my own private holiday. I've finally decided to give it a name: Janustide. Janus, you may recall, was the Roman god for whom January is named, whose two faces look to the past and the future. He was the god of beginnings, endings and of gates, doors and doorways.

My Janustide is six days of intentional transition from the old year to the new, a mixture of physical and mental decluttering, reflection, planning and preparation. It's the third day, and my home office is nearly ready for the coming semester; one more day will do complete the job. I have moved three large bags of unneeded stuff to the basement for the next charity pick-up, and filled two paper recycling bins. While I work, I listen to books or podcasts (Zencast is a favorite.) A small notebook and pen lie on my desk, ready to capture fleeting ideas or reminders.

I'm curious; do others have the same turn-of the-year rituals?

Update: My office is ready for 2011! Yes, that's a sewing machine at the far right.