Getting unstuck: Embracing simplicity

At a time when many Americans are plotting out what they can buy with their economic-stimulus checks, the two dozen or so people who meet each week at the Camas Friends Church are figuring out how not to buy much of anything.

They seek “a manner of living outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich,” as Duane Elgin wrote in his 1981 book, “Voluntary Simplicity,” which gave name to a movement that rejects our culture’s consumerism.

“I really do believe we are transitioning into a new age,” said Barbara Gassin, a 60-year-old Vancouver resident. Her concerns about the environment and economic inequalities inspired her to participate in the Camas simplicity circle.

At a recent meeting, the group began with participants trying to find the name tags they had

used the previous week — better to reuse the paper stickers than waste another, they said.

Predominately in their 50s and 60s, the participants have reached a stage in their lives when they realize their so-called empty nests are actually overflowing — with stuff — and want to pare down.

“We spent a time trying to keep up with the Jones, but we never did get there,” said Joy Williams, 52, of Camas.

Her husband, Don, also 52, wistfully remembers their early days together.

“I remember when Joy and I first got married, we didn’t have a lot. We didn’t need a lot. It was so simple,” he said.

To try to recapture that simplicity, the group is working its way through a seven-week curriculum developed by the Northwest Earth Institute in Portland. It includes articles on such topics as the meaning of simplicity, living with less and resisting busyness. The packet includes outtakes from Elgin’s book, as well as “Your Money or Your Life.” The book by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin has been described as the voluntary simplicity movement’s “bible.” It guides readers to figure out the real value of their time, to track all expenses, and to figure out how much it costs to work (once money spent on clothing, transportation, lunches out, time-saving devices and so forth is tallied).

About 15,000 people from the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area have taken the course since it was developed in 1995, said Athena Ehnot, the institute’s director of government and higher education outreach.

The value of simplicity has roots in American culture dating back to the Puritans. As a cultural movement, however, it’s a more recent phenomenon, said Mary Grigsby, associate professor of rural sociology at the University of Missouri and the author of the 2004 book, “Buying Time and Getting By: The Voluntary Simplicity Movement.”

“I think there may be a re-emergence in interest in some of the ideas of voluntary simplicity. I suspect rising energy costs may be playing a role there, kind of like they did in late 1970s,” Grigsby said. “People are looking for alternative, more sustainable ways of living.”

It’s not just about saving money, however. Grigsby found that the movement draws people from different ages, religions and political beliefs.

“They are motivated not just by economic forces,” she said. “They decided they wanted to organize their lifestyle more in keeping with their deeply held values.”

Those in the Camas simplicity circle echoed that theme.

“Money is not an issue for me. I’m very lucky in that way,” Gassin said. “I’m torn by how much we have and how little others have.”

The motivations within the movement are myriad, Grigsby said, but they center around the idea of “buying time.” Some people want to stop chasing money and things so they have more time to be creative, to spend with their families, or to pursue a hobby. One man she interviewed worked as little as possible so he could spend time rock-climbing and skiing.

They achieved their goals by connecting with others.

“I did not study any simplifiers who did it on their own,” Grigsby said. “The networks … were very important because they got ideas on how to live simply and in keeping with their values.”

Many of the people in the Camas group are working their way through the curriculum for a second time.

“This gathering has been a good opportunity for people to think about our values — what is it that’s really important?,” said Paula Clark, 55, of Washougal.

For much of the group, focusing their lives on what’s important to them — whether that’s relationships, creative expression or nature — means first cutting through clutter.

“We’re coaching each other,” Clark said. Part of that, she said, means pushing each other to answer a central question: “What do I really want to let into my life?”

Participants set personal goals.

Gassin said she resists the tug of sale ads. “I feel I have to look through them,” she said adding that she knows she doesn’t need the advertised items.

Don Williams confessed that his weakness is tools, but he defended that by adding that they also are essential to his livelihood as a mechanic.

His wife said she’s trying to cut down on TV, radio and other stimuli to find “a more content way of being.”

Clark, a retired floral designer, said she hangs on to items she hopes to use to create art, but then feels like she spends more time managing the things than she does creating.

“We talk about how we can help each other,” said Caryl Menkhus, pastor of the Camas Friends Church. “Change is hard. We’re just beginning to take these steps.”



Simple ideas


Simplifying often starts with being very careful about what you buy. The Maryland-based Center for the New American Dream, which works to counter consumerism, recommends asking these questions before every purchase:


* Is this purchase something I need?


* Do I already own something that will serve
the same purpose?


* Can I borrow one instead of buying new?


* Can I make something that will serve the same purpose instead of buying new?


* Can I buy one used instead of new?


* Would someone be willing to split the cost and share this with me?


* Can I buy or commission one made locally?


* Can I buy one that was made with environmentally
responsible materials?


* Can I buy one that was made with fair labor
practices?


* Can I get something that serves more than just one purpose?


* Can I get something human-powered or solar-powered instead of electric- or gas-powered?


* Can I resell it for close to what I paid for it?


* Can I compost or recycle it when I am done with it?

Erin Middlewood can be reached at 360-735-4541 or erin.middlewood@columbian.com.