[pf] redefining luxury (ws: Sustainable living with lifestyle diversity

At 10:21 2/8/2001 +1200, I wrote {at:
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pfvs/2001III/msg00818.html } :-
>· In:
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pfvs/2001I/msg01020.html  I said: 
>
> ... we four have been settling down to live at a certain level that IMO is
 not far from sustainable.
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

· Here I'm commenting on the process of redefining Desirables and Luxuries.

· My 24yo daughter, after spending the previous night somewhere unknown
(not my business), got up after last night in her own bed with the cat at
her feet, (and with the electric heater on) got dressed in clothes from the
pile where I leave them after they've been washed and outside-dried, and
while putting her previous-day's dirty clothes into the washing machine
just before I did today's wash said:
  "It really is luxurious, living here!"  Talking about having her clothes
washed, dried and ready to wear. She was mainly comparing it with all the
months she's spent on her own, in China, Switzerland and France. (And in
the winter, in the case of Beijing.)

· On the Desirable part of the scale; the three teenagers used to have
their evening meal made on-time, and cooked just right, every weekday while
they (and I) were at secondary/high school. They could manage well enough
on their own (as they did after I went on strike), but most days they found
the hot meal waiting for them quite desirable. Note: not a necessity.

· So when someone now asks whether they'd like a meal cooked for them, they
say thanks with alacrity, and really appreciate what that person has done
for them.


· Consequently I see a necessity for those living high-off-the-hog to
"rough it" for enough time to start really appreciating what I regard as
luxuries: clothes washed, dried and waiting; a car available to go for a
2-3-week trip; overseas travel; expensive tickets to a game or show; and
other things (as I described in my previous post) which would require weeks
and months of saving-up for if you're on the minimum level of consumption.

· And I object to all the taking-for-granted that most people do when
provided with desirables such as a nicely-planned-and-presented hot meal or
other services that take noticeable thought and work. "Housewife stuff."


· Although one could imagine the months of "roughing it" being forced on
everyone because of some calamity, I would prefer that people _choose_ to
make such changes, because they will like and appreciate themselves and
others better after doing it.
· I would be really angry, and totally reject anyone trying to force what
I've done onto me, but because it's my choice, I've been able to put up
with the privations and have come to enjoy some aspects of it - the real
freedom for one thing, and the flavours of my 7 main foods, for another.

David.
David MacClement [davd @ ihug.co.nz] (remove spaces)
http://davd.tripod.com/GrRR-010727_titles.html#top
http://www.geocities.com/davd.geo/index.html#top
***********************************************

==^================================================================
EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://igc.topica.com/u/?aVxifP.aVEN4x
Or send an email To: positive-futures-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com
This email was sent to: csf@moscow.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================