Life is Going to Change – Get Used to the Idea!

Unfortunately, in terms of self-sufficiency, most of us have forgotten how to do anything except switch on the light, plug in the latest electric item, and carry the garbage to the street kerb.Marketers have made us think that we can do better by eating out, buying stuff that works for us, and doing as little as possible to maintain ourselves.

No wonder many of us are overweight.It isn’t just the food we eat; it’s the lack of doing things round the house that people have done for centuries.

But are we prepared to live with power that isn’t necessarily as constant as we’re used to?Are we prepared to heat ourselves in ways that require some physical exertion? Are we prepared to live with generators rather than electrical lines?It no longer seems to be in the nature of humans to restrict themselves in such ways.

A halt to physical “growth”.

By this I assume Mr Grimwood means stop expecting to have more, more, more.One of the greatest lies of the age is the idea that there’s such a thing as “retail therapy.” This is just a phrase disguising that old sin, greed.

All of us can do with less.Most of us never get round to using what we have.We have books in our house that haven’t been read, DVDs that haven’t been viewed, CDs that have barely been listened to.These are just a tiny number of the things that we expect to have on hand, but may not use.

Most of us have far more clothes than we need. My mother lived with us for years, and we often bought her clothes for her birthday, or Christmas. Many of these clothes were still unused when she died last year. Perhaps we should have put real effort into making something worthwhile for her, with our own hands.

Murray Grimwood is saying all the right things, but the problem is: how many of us are actually listening? And of those who are listening, how many are willing to change their comfortable lifestyle?

We may soon be without personal transport. Supermarkets may offer less choice on their shelves. Businesses by the hundreds may go out of business, and people will be forced to live with less. Do we feel that this is just a doomsday scenario, or are we prepared to pay attention?