Population Control - Cash Payment For Childless Women At Menopause?

Over 100 years (between 1950 and 2050), the world’s population will have nearly quadrupled (from 2.5 billion to around 9.5 billion). How do we diffuse this population bomb? Or do we really need to?

When I was growing up there was a thing called the "Population Explosion". These days we don't hear too much about overpopulation, I assume because capitalist bosses want as many babies as can be cranked out. More consumers! 

It is not good for business to discourage the births of yet more victims, so full speed ahead. And don't forget, governments love having more tax slaves.

While some have encouraged voluntary efforts to cut family size, others have proposed more coercive methods, like China's One Child Policy (changed to a 2 child policy in 2016). 

Cutting subsidies for having more children is another proposed way to reduce population growth. Another idea is paying childless women a bonus when they reach menopause. A one time payment of $50,000 dollars has been proposed by some researchers.

Now I see that Hungary is going the other direction - they are paying Hungarian women to have more babies, ostensibly in order to outpace Third World immigration. 

Any Hungarian mom that has 4 or more children will be exempted from paying income tax. For life. 

They can also apply for a $35,000 dollar loan which will be forgiven if the woman has more children. Interest-free loans will also be available for the family to buy a house and car. It seems outrageous, but it is possible that it may not work anyway.

Birth rates are already dropping in many countries. In parts of Europe and Asia, birth rates are below replacement levels. Germany, Japan, Russia, and Taiwan are a few examples of countries not having enough babies to keep the population stable, whether there is a "cash for babies" program or not.

Canada also has a "baby bonus", but it is intended to reduce child poverty, not stimulate birth rates.

So is there a population explosion, or not? Will we level off at around 8 billion, or will we see an increase, in a worst case scenario, all the way up to 26 billion? 

Some say it doesn't really matter, because we don't have a population problem - we have an overconsumption problem.

The more people on Earth, the less each of us has as our fair share of the resources available. That means as population goes up, all of us will need to live more and more simply.

When it comes down to it, neither big business nor governments will solve this issue. The power to do that lies with one group, and one group only - the women of the world. 

Women ultimately decide how many babies are born, because women are not simply "hosts", and they are not birthing pods. Increasingly, they are choosing to have fewer babies.

The rest of us can do our part by consuming less so that each baby born has enough for a good life, regardless of where it comes into the world.

Actually, we might be better off if we offered incentives to consume less. Imagine that happening!

Ursula Le Guin

American novelist Ursula Le Guin was my kind of person. It seems to me that she spoke the truth as she saw it. Perhaps that is why her thoughts and ideas aren't more well known.

Le Guin passed away at the beginning of the year, and The New York Times actually noted the solemn event in their obituary pages, possibly due to a Mother Jones story in 2013 that found that only about 21% of the Times' obituaries were for women.

Maybe things are getting better.

Her outlook on things make a lot of sense to me. The two most important things to her were

1. family, and 

2. being creative. 

She once said that she enjoyed housework. I think she probably enjoyed just about everything, and took nothing for granted.

Here are a few of my favourite quotes by this amazing writer:

“A decision worthy of the name is based on observation, factual information, intellectual and ethical judgment. Opinion—that darling of the press, the politician, and the poll—may be based on no information at all.” 


“I’d like a poster showing two old people with stooped backs and arthritic hands and time-worn faces sitting talking, deep, deep in conversation. And the slogan would be “Old Age Is Not for the Young.” 


“It goes right back to the idea of the Power of Positive Thinking, which is so strong in America because it fits in so well with the Power of Commercial Advertising and with the Power of Wishful Thinking, aka the American Dream.” 


“Spare time is the time not spent at your job or at otherwise keeping yourself.” 
“None of this is spare time. I can’t spare it.” 


“It appears that we've given up on the long-range view. That we've decided not to think about consequences—about cause and effect. Maybe that's why I feel that I live in exile. I used to live in a country that had a future.” 

Ursula Le Guin passed on at the beginning of this year, January 22, 2018. She was 88.

Choosing Simplicity For Wellness

Getting off the merry-go-round has allowed me to spend more time enjoying the healthful benefits of nature. 

One big reason that I retired to a more simple life seventeen years ago at age 40 is because I wasn't sure I could maintain my mental health while plugged into a 'regular life' in a western consumer culture.

I was not afraid to let go. I was ready.

John Lennon had already taught me, in the song Watching The Wheels (Gimme Some Truth), that it was okay to want to get off the merry-go-round. Like him, "I just had to let it go". For fast acting relief, try simple living. I found out later that he also enjoyed the homey task of baking bread.

Overall wellness increases when we reduce our focus on the acquisition of money, possessions and status. Stress levels drop and there is more time to rest, be physically active, eat healthful foods, and spend time with friends and family.

Creating a simple life for you and your family is more of a gift than a sacrifice, even if it is often more work. The majority of people who choose to live this way report improved mental and physical health. What is that worth? Is there anything else worthy of our effort?

Imagine what happens when your life consists of doing only the things you love to do. Or does living simply allow one the time to love all aspects of life more fully, regardless of what is going on? Either way, it is good for you.

Live simply to break free, or save money, or to live more sustainably - those are all awesome outcomes of this lifestyle. But definitely do it for your overall wellness, mental and otherwise.

NBA Blog - Now Endorsed By Mom

I try not to be motivated by praise or blame. However, in my quest to improve my blog, my self, and my life, feedback is always welcome and appreciated. It was in that vein that I recently received some valuable feedback from one of my most important teachers - my mom.

Recently I was talking to my 80-something, simple living mom on the phone. She told me that she had been visiting Not Buying Anything lately. That alone had me feeling good.

Then she said, "I feel better every time I visit your blog." Oh! Heaven to my ears. Mission accomplished.

Doesn't every son want to help his mother feel better? I know I do, but I never assumed that feeling better might be caused by reading this blog.

Since the inception of NBA, I have tried my hardest to never descend into negativity and cynicism... for too long. Given the subject matter dealt with here, this often feels like a difficult balance to maintain. How does one put a positive spin on the decline of our planet, and the "civilized" world that is causing its demise?

While I am not paying mom for her endorsement (because that would be an advertisement), I thought that maybe her judgment was clouded by her undying love for her second born (out of 5). Would she not say anything, do anything, to help her sons and daughter feel better?

Then this feedback came through in the comment section:


"Linda and Gregg, 

You are free souls and I feel very good to visit NBA." 


It came with this lovely quote from Charles Bukowski, one of my favourite rebel writers.

"The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it - basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them."

Mom (and Saffron), that is exactly what I would like all free souls to feel when they visit this blog. It is because of you and other NBA readers, that Linda and I feel better when visiting our own blog. You have us feeling good, very good, to know that you are with us.

Endorsements (non paid) are important bits of feedback. Your support lets me know I am on the right track, tapping in to a bit of the magic that I find while cultivating my simple approach to life, then sprinkling that around the blogosphere.

Things can seem rather unmagical in the world right now, but it would be a mistake to let ones self slide down the slippery sad slope into depression and despair. The world is far too beautiful, mysterious and miraculous for that. Good always out-weighs the not-so-good.

Together we are changing ourselves and our planet, and together we are helping each other maintain sanity in the process. Let it be a cooperative adventure to be savoured and enjoyed. These are precious moments. Thank you for sharing them with us.

And thank you, mom. We feel good when you feel good.

Buy Nothing Xmas

We lived through another Black Friday Week - congratulations. But our good work is not over yet. Oh no.

From now until the end of the year the mass consumption continues unabated. It is time to plan for another Buy Nothing Xmas to counter the madness.

The point of this final anti-consumer campaign of the year is not to save money, or destroy Christmas, but to take action toward creating a more equitable world where everyone has enough, and we consume what we need and not much else.

It is also about returning to  the original focus of the season, and concentrating more on loving each other rather than on competitive gift giving. It is about throwing out the generic corporate profit-driven season that wants to deck the vaults with boughs of your money, and replace it with a personalized celebration that promotes compassion for all living beings.

This season let us question our consumer mindset, empower ourselves by refusing to participate, and generate awareness of the destructive tendencies of business as usual. We are in good company - the Pope is feeling pretty subdued about business as usual this season too.

Chances are that most people, even the Pope, will be buying something this festive season. The following suggestions will help align potential purchases with the values of the BNX campaign.

• give locally, fairly-traded items with environmentally friendly packaging.
• give quality things that last
• give consumables, like gift cards for the local grocery store
• give things that people really need (you can't go wrong with socks and underwear)

Often parents find it hard to practice a Buy Nothing Christmas. But it IS possible to have a wonderful non-commercial Xmas with kids. While gift giving is an important social exchange, we don't have to go overboard at this time of year.

• try not to subject yourself or your family to seasonal advertising hype
• consider making gifts for each other, or buying only hand made gifts from local artisans
• up cycle old stuff to make creative gifts 
• regift items you don't use
• spend quality time together (without TV or other electronics)
• go to the library together, get cards if you don't already have them

You don't have to spend a lot to show others you love them. You don't really need to spend anything at all. Just be with them.

That is free. That is BNX.

No Christmas Gifts, Please

It's October. That means cooler temperatures, trees turning brilliant colours, shorter days, and Christmas crap in the stores. Tis the season, then, to talk about how to stop the seasonal gift giving madness. 

For some of us there is only one thing worse than not getting gifts - and that would be getting gifts. Maybe you don't need anything. What do you do with the gifts you don't want or need?

Yesterday this blog received a comment about how to broach the subject of not wanting Christmas gifts with loved ones. 

Here is the comment that was posted on the Simplicity page:

"How do you tell your siblings that you don´t want anything for Christmas. They always insist on giving things for Christmas. I got so frustrated last year, I told one sister I needed a blanket, I don´t. I told the other one I needed a cardigan, I don´t. They insist on giving gifts to every one for Christmas. The youngest is 32. I am trying to go back to simple living but they don´t get it. Any advice?"

Knowing that many readers of Not Buying Anything celebrate simplicity at this time of year by declaring a moratorium on gift exchanges, I thought I would tap into this vast collection of excellent ideas and unique experiences.

So there you go. How do you stop the deluge of stuff in the upcoming season? How do you broach the subject without hurting feelings, but still getting your point across - No Christmas Gifts, please?

Thank you to the anonymous commenter for asking the important questions and getting the discussion going early this year.

Is it too early to say, "Happy Buy Nothing Christmas"?

More Living, Less Bullshit

Here's to Annie, another reader of this blog that has decided to make some tough decisions to be able to live the life she wants to live. And she was kind enough to share the news with the rest of us in a comment on one of my recent posts.

Like many other people, she feels that time with family is more precious than working in a less than desirable situation. "I quit my job" she said. "8 days to go. Let the adventure begin!" I could sense the excitement, having been in that situation myself.

Annie added, "I don't think there is enough money to compensate for missing so many milestones", and Linda and I agree wholeheartedly. 15 years ago we quit our full time jobs in pursuit of the simple life, and we have never looked back.

In our case, Linda had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in a devastating turn in our lives together. We knew that while the clock was ticking for both of us (as it does for us all), it may be ticking a bit faster for her. What we needed was more time to do the things we wanted to do, and now.

After 5 years of good but slowly declining health we made our move to get the time we needed to do the things we wanted. We quit.

Since we made that decision we have fulfilled many of our simple living goals, including traveling for a full year with nothing but the packs on our backs. While we did not work full time again, we both worked casual, contract, and part-time jobs that we were interested in trying out.

Linda worked for a non-profit that provided services for housing co-operatives, and also enjoyed working in a public library. I worked several jobs such as driving a limousine, providing river rafting trips for school groups, and landscape gardening.

With lots of time for just living, we learned to cook a vegetarian diet. We learned to play guitar and sing better. We increased our time in nature. We spent a lot of time visiting friends and family. We learned to live more with less.

We fully support anyone choosing to live more simply. To live more along the lines of what feels right to them rather than what society tells them to do. Here is to Annie and her family, and all of you out there that may yearn for similar simple things.

May you all have more living, and less bullshit.


More

Sleep.
Reading.
Nature.
Good food.
Truth.
Cooperation.
Health.
Gardening.
Time.
Family.
Want to.
Love.
Music.


Less

Speed.
Mindless work.
Complexity.
Have to.
Sickness.
Stuff.
Bullshit.

Opting Out - Gene Wilder

The consumer lifestyle can be hypnotizing, yet resistance is not futile.

Some people get it. They know the pitfalls of fame, wealth and excessive lifestyles, and turn away from the temptations on offer. They decide to opt out.

There are many examples of individuals strong enough to say NO to the alluring yet destructive ways of the modern world. This is what Gene Wilder said about why he doesn't make movies anymore:

"I like writing books. I'd rather be at home with my wife. I can write, take a break, come out, have a glass of tea, give my wife a kiss, and go back in and write some more. It's not so bad. I am really lucky."

As a consumer dropout, this sounds good to me. It is more proof that resistance in not futile, and we can choose to opt out.

Now I'm off to take a break and kiss Linda.

Stop

Happy spine - happy human.

The diagnosis? Herniated disk in the fifth lumbar vertebra.

Doctor's advice? Stop.

So for now, Linda and I are living in beautiful Nelson, BC Canada with my mother (who is one year shy of her 80th birthday). As far as being stranded somewhere along our route, this is the ideal scenario.

After the 'Angels in a Blue Bus' incident, in which the universe delivered an accessible van to our front door while simultaneously taking our truck away, it is hard to believe what has been delivered to us this time.

Best of all is I get to have an extended visit with my mom. While she was the first official stop that we planned, we weren't sure how long we would stay. Now it looks like mom will get to take care of her boy longer than expected. I am fine with that. These are precious moments.

My dear mom Margaret is being very generous, and when I apologize for invading her life with our chaos she says that our need gives her life meaning and purpose. She is caring for the caregiver, enabling me to take it easy so I can continue to take care of Linda.

So I get to spend day after glorious day sitting with Margaret and Linda, my two favourite women on the planet, conversing, laughing, crying, eating, and enjoying each other's company.

Another of my favourite women, my sister Kathy, also lives near Nelson. Her and her partner live the kind of life I aspire to live one day. Perhaps not as soon as I expected, but some day I would also like to live in a beautiful home surrounded by nature and powered by solar panels.

It is wonderful to see them, their chickens, huge garden, and their 4 gentle, intelligent and unique children who were raised on 'the mountain'.

Grandma lives in a suite in a small house in downtown Nelson. And who of all people should occupy the space on the main floor of the house?

A doctor. A doctor who is a back specialist. Just what I need - someone to help me make my back happy again. And all I have to do is go upstairs and rest a while on the decompression table.

In the meantime the blue bus is resting happily in mom's back yard. We are resting happily inside the house in mom's warm, loving embrace.

We are stopping. For now.

"Where's the fire? What's the hurry about?

You better cool it off before you burn it out.

You got so much to do and so many hours in a day."

- Vienna, Billy Joel

Frugal Family Friction

"What? You want to simplify your life? No, please dear - say it isn't so!"

What do you do when family members consider your simple life or frugal ways to be too unconventional, controversial, or worse? When they continue to bring gifts against your wishes? When their values clash with your own? What is the best way to deal with such conflict?

A recent anonymous commenter on NBA's Simplicity page shared the struggle of shifting to a simpler lifestyle while getting conflicting messages from family.

The reader said:


"I am trying to simplify my life and teach my teenage girls that there is nothing wrong with good, clean and simple living. 

Problem is, my mother is driven by the size of her bank account and constantly hounds me and her granddaughters that a big bank account, mountains of debt, high credit scores and credit limits are as important as air and water.

Has anybody had problems with close family constantly butting into the simple world you want? How did you get them to stop?"


Have you experienced any friction from family members concerning your simple life? If so, how have you dealt with the situation?

Do you argue? Avoid? Submit?

Or have you been able to communicate your way to a genuine acceptance and compromise?

Spend Time With Kids, Not Money

"If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money."

- Pauline Phillips

Spending time with kids is more important than spending money on them. There is no substitute for giving your children your full loving care and attention on a regular basis.

Schedule Regular Quality Time With Your Kids

It is important to schedule regular quality time with your kids. During this time give them the gift of your undivided attention, and love.

1) Brainstorm activities you both enjoy. During this stage think big - anything goes. You can decide on the practicality of suggestions later. Focus on activities not dependent on spending money. Quiet time is important, and there are many free things you can do together.

2) Make your schedule age appropriate:

•  children (2 - 6 yrs old) a minimum of 10 min/day.
•  youth (7 - 12 yrs old) a minimum of 30 min/week.
•  teens/young adults (13 yrs and older) a minimum of 60 min/month.

3) Each scheduled visit select something doable from your list. This is time for parent and child only. Disconnect during the agreed upon time - turn off the phone and electronic gadgets. Don't answer the door if at home - you're busy.

4) Stick to your schedule. You can show your kids how important you think they are by making every effort to maintain your regular scheduled time together.

5) Enjoy each others company. Kids are great, and they will think you are too if you show them you have the time for them.

Too busy making a living, not enough time making a life.

Simplify The Holidays

“I was thinking recently about what I remember most about my grand-parents, and I realized that I don’t remember a single gift they gave me as a child. Instead, I remember the time that I spent with them.”      

— Erin Peters

Would you like your holiday season to be more about meaning and less about stuff? If so, you are in good company. A national survey showed that more than 75% of Americans wish the holiday season were less materialistic.

90% of the survey respondents reported feeling that family and helping others was more important than giving and receiving gifts. But what happens when our values are up against advertising and our own distorted expectations?

Of course the National Retail Federation is paying close attention to such things. They are like a Santa that charges lots of money for the gifts in the sack. The NRF do extensive research to keep a close eye on our holiday spending habits. Are consumers being spending-naughty? Or spending-nice?

I am sure they have been happy with the answers they are finding in their big, red data bag gleaned from Santa-like surveillance. They know when you are spending, and they know when you stop.

The Retail Federation's busy elves report that last year, holiday spending increased 3.5% to $579.5 billion. 2011’s grand total of $560.2 billion was a 5.1% increase over 2010. On average, annual holiday spending has increased 3.3% for the last 10 years.

I can remember a lot of great holiday celebrations, but can't remember many presents. Most people would agree that the best things about the holidays are spending time with friends and family, sharing good food, laughter and stories, and not what kind of loot you get.

We can opt out of the frenzy of shopping and gift-giving if it feels oppressive, and create better, more meaningful and simplified holiday alternatives.

Appreciating Fathers

Me, my dad, and my oldest brother in 1962 sharing a son/father moment

Often fathers go unrecognized and under appreciated. I know that I was guilty of this omission when I was younger. When I finally came to realize how intelligent and wise my dad really was, he was struck down by the same brain tumour that he first battled in his twenties.

My dad started as the typical 50s dad stereotype, but later in life he learned, grew and mellowed enough to look back and question the confines of the box into which society had placed him.

Within the walls dad was a very successful member of society. Married, five kids, teacher, school principal, university professor, world traveler, active community member, and all around gentle and loving human being. But what about that other box we know as happiness?

Like most of us, dad looked back on his life and saw room for improvement. In 1999 after Father's Day he wrote me a heartfelt and brutally honest letter from the South Pacific where he was working as a volunteer administrator in a high school.

Of the early years of our family he wrote that "it's all a dream now", reflecting on how quickly our short lives pass. At the time he did not know that he was a few months shy of the end of his own abbreviated existence.

Dad shared insights about learning how to be a father from one's own father, even though your father's ways "may no longer apply, if they ever did". He wrote of the shifting gender roles in the 60's and 70's, and the rigidity of those roles previously.

"The father went out and earned the bacon. The mother stayed home and took care of things there. I thought this was the model to follow. Well, it didn't work. Deep down in my stomach, I knew that something was wrong."

"Behind the mask I wore, I felt lonely, little, sick and helpless."

My father was a thinker and lifelong learner as well as a teacher. He used these capabilities to change a great deal throughout his life - he always tried to do the right thing with the knowledge he had available  at the time. When he sent the letter he was ready to make more changes.

His letter concluded that "constructive action" was what must come from self-realizations. But what direction should this action take?

"Most of my life, either I don't know what constructive action to take or I am too chicken shit to take it", my father wrote.

Wow. Every time I read this letter I am gobsmacked by it all over again. Such honesty in revealing what I consider to be a universal feeling today - that something is not quite right. Obviously people have been feeling this way for quite a while.

As a 35 year teacher and 50s-style breadwinner, my father was frequently gone from home while at work, in meetings, giving presentations to community groups, advocating for teachers and students, and doing the countless number of other things that good teachers and "providers" do.

While he was working hard to "bring home the bacon" he missed out on much of our family life. That was, as he was told, my mother's responsibility. He knew what he missed out on by fulfilling society's narrowly defined expectations. He knew something was wrong. Society was wrong.

Unfortunately, dad wasn't doing what HE wanted to do all those years ago. By the time he wrote the letter to me he had the knowledge and the time to want to improve his relationships with his children and get caught up.

He died a few months later. The lessons he taught me will continue to enrich my own existence until I reach my end.

Thanks, dad. 

An Afternoon In The Garden

Community Food

My mom Margaret, and my sister's daughter Kayli came to visit us from the mainland for a few days. Yesterday we took them to see the community garden, and ended up staying and exploring for several hours.

Before we reluctantly departed, we all agreed that it is a magical place.

The garden is more like a park where food grows.

We found ripe strawberries... and ate some of them.Yum!

We looked at all the flowers, and Kayli took photos. Lots of great photos.

I did some gardening in our 4X8 raised bed. Half is in strawberries, the other half
currently has chard, kale, beans, potatoes, and sunflowers.

We visited the pond and watched tadpoles and bugs.

Then it was time for lunch. We sat, relaxed, and enjoyed each others company.
Linda is under the hat, Kayli is with her, and my hungry mom is in the background.

Next time we will make pizza in the cob oven.

A bald eagle came to visit before we finished lunch (look up, way up).

Before the eagle left she flew over the garden, and us.

After a great day we returned to our home, sweet, home on the beach. 

It is fun to have visitors and share our simple life with them.

51 Years of Simple Living

The year I was born, the first disposable diapers hit the market. My mom couldn't afford to use them, but she tells me I didn't seem to care. She says I was a very contented little person right from the start.

When I came into this world, the average cost of a house was $12,500 dollars, and a dozen eggs cost 30 cents. The global population hit 4 billion, and Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.

It was in these exciting times that my father was starting what would become a 30 year career in education. Although I didn't know it at the time, I was starting a 51 year career in simple living.

Teachers were poorly paid, and his salary did not go far with a growing family - living frugally was required. Eventually he had 5 kids for which to provide. Mom, like most mom's at the time, stayed at home and managed the logistics for her chaotic crew.

We eventually moved into a modest home, and stayed there until all the kids were grown. There was no 'trading up' to a larger house every few years, as is the expectation among many today. Actually, the acquisition of money and things was never a driving force for either of my parents.

Both mom and dad taught us that money was not the answer to anything past the point of having enough for a good life. What was more important than money and stuff was doing something with your life to make the world a better place.

Mom had to be creative to make ends meet, and somehow she managed to make sure that we always had what we needed. My clothes were hand-me-downs from my older brother, and if they lasted, they went down the line to the next rug rat. We always had a car. It was always a used car.

We never ate out, or order in. Processed foods as we know them today were unavailable, so all meals were cooked by my mother from scratch. That is how I cook now, and I have no idea how mom did it for 7 people day in and day out. It takes me a lot of time to cook meals from scratch for only two people. Moms are magic, obviously.

Everything tasted great, and I was always the most appreciative mouth at the table. But even I balked at powdered milk, and I remember really hating it. Cow tongue was a bit much, too. Most importantly though, I don't remember ever being hungry.

Often we did not have television, and when we did, it was black and white. There were no separate rooms for the kids, and we not only had to share a room, but often two of us had to share a bed.

Oh, the inhumanity! Occasionally, rising expectations in society would make my siblings and I think surely we lived in abject poverty, or were experiencing some sort of cruel and unusual punishment. We were led to mistakenly believe that everyone had a colour television, whole milk, steaks, new cars, and their own rooms.

That is what it sometimes felt like as we were growing up. But now I thank my parents for saving me from all the unnecessary crap, and sending me outside to play. Nature is what I like the best anyway.

I was born a content little dude on a dark winter night in 1961, and I have continued to be satisfied with 'enough' to this day. I have chosen to value time, freedom, and service to others, over the accumulation of money and things.

Today I celebrate 51 years of simple living.

Less

Less stuff - more meaningful personal interactions

Less greed - more giving

Less hate - more love

Less me - more us

Less job - more family

Less shopping - more walking in nature

Less lies - more truth