Currently I am reading two books simultaneously. Okay, well honestly it's more like ten books that I'm reading simultaneously. I don't usually do this with fiction books, but I've been on a fiction hiatus for awhile now, so I'm only reading non-fiction. Back to the two books that are similar. One was written/compiled over 40 years by a Mennonite woman who died of cancer at a very young age. I found it at Goodwill an it is entitled, "Living More with Less." by Doris Janzen Longacre. It is out of print and it looks like there are two copies left on Amazon.com. However, if you'd like to borrow it, I can lend it to you. It is AMAZING how her thoughts and many peoples' contributed suggestions, experiences, and ideas are relative today! She was truly pioneering a movement that may have caught on, but as far as I know sat dormant for 40 years (in our consumeristic society) and now seems to be relevant again! Or maybe it's just me? Regardless, there is another book currently released entitled The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay. I found it on one of my favorite blogs: Walk Slowly, Live Wildly. So far, it's great! However, I haven't started putting anything into "practice" yet. LOL! I'll let you know then. So, that blog referred to other minimalist living blogs. I didn't want to chase rabbit trails, but I did discover a post within the Miss Minimalist blog that resonated with me as I've been thinking about reopening a Facebook account. You see....as time as gone on over the past four to five months I have lost my resolve about why I closed the account in the first place and I am feeling fully justified in reopening my FB account, not because I feel that disconnected with my friends, but because I have been wondering if they fee disconnected with me? But the truth is that REAL connection takes EFFORT. FB is easy, that's why we all love it. We can send a quick, "how are you?" and wahlah, we are done. Yes, it came from the heart, we truly wanted to know, etc... But in my own non-FB experience I have not really made as many efforts to CALL someone to see how they are, or send them a card in the (gasp) mail. I haven't slowed my life to involve others like I thought I would, or made the conscience effort. So, it is easy for me to say that the NO FB thing failed and I'm just going to jump back onto the social cyber-wagon. Until I ran across this post today: http://www.bemorewithless.com/2011/farewell-facebook/ And it really reminded me of why I made the choice I did. Instead of giving up, I know that instead I need to make more intentional efforts. I'm not against Internet socialization. In fact, I was experiencing the benefits of it long before Facebook and Sparkpeople. I learned about non-punitive discipline back in 2001 on an AOL Debate Forum. I lost 27lbs with the help of an online Support group in 2002. There is help and information all over the cyber world. However, the way things currently are at an INSTANT pace, I'm not sure the point isn't flying right over my head. I mean, who really wants to look at pictures from last month. That is so old news. And that's fine. But it takes energy and time to keep up.
And seeing as how I'm learning about this whole minimalist living thing....maybe too much clutter physically and mentally can truly be hazardous to a free life? I'm curious.
What are your thoughts? 
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