though i've never considered myself a "minimalist" I definitely try to create/consume/use as little material things as possible. Various reasons apply:

1) less clutter

2) less stress

3) save resources (money, food, environment)

4) "environment" is a big one. it becomes kind of moral for me. To me, it seems industrial-capitalist-consumer based society eats the earth but does not return the favor. It is not sustainable on a very real, like "how are we going to survive in the long term" sort of way.

4a) Also the ethics of production. There's a lot of exploitation, suffering, and destruction of human happiness that comes from what we are sold (not to mention destruction/disruption of other life as well). I'd like to reduce my part in that system as much as possible.

5) So to me, being "minimal" is actually a form of being "responsible".

6) But I also try not to stress TOO much. Sometimes, I want that fancily over packaged, expensive seaweed snack produced in Japan and boated over here then driven to the market. And sometimes, I answer that "want" with a purchase. So be it!

7) There's a lot more to say here I'm sure, but i'm just going to be minimal about it and leave it at this : )

...and when they stay as things tend to do luckily there's always something that grab's your attention (usually near your shoes)

so your eyes dance around the floor and the mailman walks to another door and just before melancholy sets in - TICK! "SNACK TIME baby!" everyday at 4.

Eat a treat clean it up nice n neat the day goes on a few more hours maybe it's best to to digest under the covers, asleep?

wake at 6 dried saliva round the lips naptime drool a pillowcase's pool but ain't no fool 'left enough room for dinner time with your friends dressed up all nice, feelin cool

food goes round drinks go down people smile and stuff then go home and smile and stuff then wake up and smile and stuff but in the dreams? the bluff is up

DEMONS! MONSTERS! LIZARDS AND EX-LOVERS!

test comment.

life’s just a mess I control it less and less so to my ice cream and burritos I seek solace

which salsas? which sauce? life’s a coin toss but when it comes to these meals Haha! finally i’m the boss

but sometimes the habit controls the hand and I fill my belly beyond my waistband an all night food party that I seriously hope won’t end

salty then sweet, then savory meat leads to sweet, back to salty with this cycle, there is no replete

my anger builds , fear on the rise shamed of this mouth holding back tears in these eyes

but I won’t cry, I’m just tired and alone; couldn’t purge if I tried which I won’t

don’t you know purging means you’ve got a problem? And problems? I can do without em’

so I hold it all in, till’ the next day

wake in a ball of shame failed at this food n’ life game - unless I do something fast! so I’ll exercise and skip meals: now that’s a good deal. I’ll the this whole game: starving myself till’ my belly grumbles my name

Binge

life’s just a mess control comes less and less so to ice cream and burritos I seek solace

which salsas? which sauce? life’s a coin toss but when it comes to these meals Haha! finally i’m the boss

but sometimes the habit controls the hand and I fill my belly beyond my waistband an all night food party that I seriously hope won’t end

salty then sweet, then savory meat leads to sweet, back to salty with this cycle, there is no replete

my anger builds , fear on the rise shamed of this mouth holding back tears in these eyes

but I won’t cry, I’m just tired and alone; couldn’t purge if I tried which I won’t

don’t you know purging means you’ve got a problem? And problems? I can do without em’

so I hold it all in, till’ the next day

wake in a ball of shame failed at this food n’ life game - unless I do something fast! so I’ll exercise and skip meals: now that’s a good deal! That's how I'll beat this game: starving the belly till' it grumbles my name

So I've been thinking a lot about my cynical reaction toward goals. It was, as you mentioned Lil, disparaging. So why was I so disparaging? I think it came from fear.

I fear making large scale goals for myself because I don't know what I want to do with my life (aside from being happy and bringing this happiness to others). And so I avoid making new goals in fear that each becomes a distinct, definitive commitment; a covenant with my future: once thou begins this activity, thou shall follow through till death do you part!

A single 30 minutes on the drums becomes a down payment in a livelihood as a musician. Reading becomes a future as an editor. A journal entry becomes the smatterings of a novel. A massage? A step towards becoming licensed. And so on. It's the trickle down theory of existential anxiety; a burden of expectations, a perfectionists poison!

It's exhausting.

This makes me think a few things:

1) Focus on what activities make me happy in the moment. Enjoy them. Might actually help with this whole future thing too.

2) Framing activities in terms of long-term existential security can be troublesome. Why do I need that security? One possibility: I have health issues -> I fear not having health insurance (live in U.S.: on mom's plan, goes away when I'm 26) -> so I want a livelihood that provides health insurance -> probably need a high commitment job for that (an assumption with plenty of contradictions) -> I want to enjoy this job -> I need to find out what I am doing with my life NOWWWW!!! -> in order to have good job with good health insurance for the future (not always true)

3) Public health care can help alleviate existential anxiety. Private health care can keep you tethered to the "system" in often unsavory ways. (I'm sure there are counter examples for both).

4) Breathe. Seriously, breathe! and enjoy your friends, family, community, safe spaces to vent, etc.

5) Turn hubski responses into public re-evaluations of one's life processes.

6) Thank all for enduring : )

7) "Thank you" : P

Wow. If I ever went to Trader Joe's, it was usually for cheaper peanut butter and tasty cereals. I never sought out their frozen foods, so I had a blind spot. But come to think of it, they're bursting with them. It's like their whole business platform. I wonder if they've got some sort of business partnership with GE. "We will make foods that people need microwaves and ovens to make." I don't know. Clearly, another indication of the End of the World <slightly facetious>

b_b, this morning I mentioned your comment to my housemate, and he immediately said, "oh, like a food desert." He was already well versed on this issue and our conversation turned into a short history of how my little section of San Diego, called City Heights, became an urban farming hub (farmers markets with EBT, vacant lots into farming space, etc.). The root of this history: City Heights was once designated a food desert.

I am learning.

We also watched a TED talk on the subject/movement given by LaDonna Redmond, a Chicago-based food systems activist. She visits a lot of the issues you mentioned in your first comment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWukl6lqyJI

Well said, definitely an idea I was aiming for...

Hahah! " you know, I could teach you the recipe for that". Classic.

I've always seen Annie's in the market. I'm now curious about these time-intensive pizza rolls...

Thanks for your response, and the "reality check" behind why frozen toast is purchased and in many cases, a (sad) necessity.

It also makes me want to be more careful and precise in my word choice, presentation. My post does focus more upon the decision to buy the frozen toast as opposed to the reasons why it's necessary. And I can understand how my focus' demeanor is a bit too ridicule heavy, which I'm not proud of, especially since it is not my intention.

I did add that section about "the need to purchase frozen toast is symptomatic of the larger issues: Industrialism, lack of knowledge (which I put as "lack of education"), etc." - but clearly, that section did not carry its weight. And I certainly didn't consider "food deserts". I've never lived in an environment like that (I also grew up and still live in areas surrounded by grocery stores, bakeries, etc.) - and remembering that everyone doesn't have access to the food choices I've got: it's a very necessary eye-opener. Helps me be more grateful for my food options and more interested in the ways others can gain wider access.

Great! Glad to contribute to the collection : )

Haha! That line from As You Like It is fantastic. I was about to ask who it was by and then Googled it instead: Shakespeare. Some knack for words that guy : )

I also think about mortality a lot, but don't really carry it with distaste. I enjoy the weight. Most of the poets I'm really into also carry that weight. Current poet of interest: Bill Holm. He also wrote the first poem I ever memorized; something I did simply because the poem was so good, I just wanted to carry it around as long as I could. It also spoke of music, which I love to play, but am especially into when described through words. Using words to describe sounds, a tough space for language to fill...

Here's the poem:

Bach in Brimnes

Stebbi brings his cello into Brimnes. He is a big thick fellow with ham fists, Who looks like a seaman or a deck hand More used to tubs of fish than cello bows. No scores here, so he plays what he knows: Bach! Let's have some Bach! Play a saraband! The cello seems too big for this small room But when he starts the Saraband in G, The whole house grows too tiny for the tune, As if the walls demanded to expand Another fifty meters toward the sea To make a proper space for all this sound, If any human space at all could house The planets whirling around inside this suite.

Oh cool. I like the layout of this website. It's really well put together. Thanks for pointing out the appreciation points! Warms me up : )

Ay Chris! I'm super glad you point out this assumption. I probably could've done some good placing an asterisks in there, one that acknowledges those folks who earn money doing what they enjoy. I mean - I know people who work within their passions, Capitalism definitely allows this. (Sometimes I even consider myself a fortunate enjoy-how-make-money person, sometimes : )

I think I omitted this point because I was trying to outline a Zeitgeist, which is a pretty broad stroke of analysis. I actually have trouble making such broad statements specifically because these omissions tend to occur. Over-simplification; Reductionist. Or maybe just a palette tester? Whatever it is, the question seemed to call for it and so I just went for it.

I've seen this video! I actually show it to friends and family when I want them to have strong, positive connotations tied to BM. And I'm glad the numbered points worked well for you, I like them too. I feel like they help my brain/reader's brain organize and process information with more ease and speed.