Diogenes, the ancient Greek philosopher, famously threw away his cup after seeing a child drink water from his cupped hands, exclaiming, "A child has beaten me in plainness of living." I think of Diogenes every time I look at the accumulation of clutter in and around the house. He would have a field day here!
For most of my life I lived like Diogenes, never accumulating anything, or if I did, disposing of it when I moved on, which was scores of times. Everything I owned fitted into one medium-sized suitcase and an expandable pilot case reserved for the heavy reference books I needed for my work (those were the days before the internet!) which I took onto an aircraft as hand-luggage to avoid paying for excess baggage.
The need to travel light through life became almost pathological, so much so that if I stayed in one place for too long — and six months was usually too long — I would do the occasional trial-packing to ensure it all still fitted into the one suitcase. If not, I would dispose of it at once.
Not that I needed role models but I did have two: Noel, my best friend for almost thirty years who never had much because he never had much — money, that is! — and Brian, a latterly-acquired friend who never had much because he didn't want to spend the money — of which he had too much, presumably because he never spent it! Both were living examples of the age-old quote "A man's riches are the fewness of his wants".
That was forty years ago! Against my better judgement, I then turned domestic with a vengeance, acquiring everything that's needed for a comfortable life — and even more that's not needed and only makes life more complex and therefore less comfortable — often in duplicate and even triplicate, to the point that I no longer own the possessions but the possessions own me. That once medium-sized suitcase would morph into several shipping containers if I ever had to move again — unless I did some very radical trial-packing. Is there a Diogenes to give me a hand?
