Simplicity 🛠

I think modern life is much too complicated with too many things to break and fail, needing to be discarded and replaced. Throwing away and buying new unnecessarily seems to be a core principle of the contemporary American economy.

I really get tired of all the broken things in my life and the constant need of repair and replacement. Some of it is my fault – my lack of a knowledge about repair – but a lot is the the cheap poorly thought out designs meant to be used for a short period of time and then sent to the scrap yard and landfill.

People celebrate advancements like instant hot water when you turn on a faucet or shower, high speed wireless internet in every room, perfectly climate controlled rooms, washing machines for home laundrying. Things like that seem to be overly complicated and break a lot.

The other day, one of my colleagues was out dealing with her broken water heater. I know I always have had issues with the one in my apartment – landlord seems to be constantly replacing it. Water heaters seem to be really problematic components – water corrodes them. Seems like my parents are always replacing and repairing their washing machines. Internet routers and computers quickly wear out and need replacement.

When I own my own land I want to do it differently. I really like the idea of using just a simple wood stove to heat a small cabin. Dish water can be heated on the wood stove or propane range. For hot water for showers, I would use a small instant on propane heater – they also have relatively short lifespans but are relatively small, inexpensive to replace. I know people celebrate the end of cold water flats, but I’m not sure it’s that much of a victory when you think of the constant stream of discarded water heaters and electricity or gas used to keep water hot for anytime use.

When I can’t totally avoid mechanical breakage, I’d rather outsource it. People complain about the cost of laundromats and the time wasted going there and doing wash. Maybe if you have a big family but for the individual the laundromat is a pretty good deal – a few bucks and your clothes get clean, you don’t have to pay for the water or electric or the constant discarding and replacement of the machines. Plus the laundromat is a much more effective use of resources – the washer and dryer is shared by many people in the community, it doesn’t sit idle for most of the week. I never saw the time waste as much – I often run to the store or library at the laundromat and at least my local one has free Wi-Fi. People warn of stolen clothes but my underwear aren’t that valuable and if you don’t leave clothes in the washer few people will interrupt your cycle midway through.

The same can be said about home internet and television. Why pay for an expensive home internet when a basic smartphone on an off brand network does nearly everything? For very data intensive services you can always find a free wireless hotspot like at a library in own. No need to waste all that energy at home or pay pricey membership fees. Television rots your brain and gives you violent thoughts, it does not belong in the home.

Maybe I’m a luddite but I thing the good life is a simple one room cabin with a woodstove for heat. No television, no hot water or central heat. Maybe a small instant on propane water heater for an outside shower but that only because hot water cleans better and makes showers better on cold days. But I am so off put by the modern suburban home.