It's hard to believe, but during the last 14 months I've spent all of my nights indoors.
There hasn't been a stretch this long since 2009. A lot has changed. I can't say it's better or worse, just different.
Seems like just yesterday when I nervously put all of my worldly belongings in the basement of Mojo, and decided I'd be sleeping wherever I felt like laying my head.
Drifting. Homeless by choice.
I miss waking up with the sun, and taking a piss wherever and whenever I want.
Having one dish.
Only worrying about what to wear because of the weather.
Cycling to where I'm going to sleep.
Hiking to where I'm going to sleep.
Having a bad night of sleep because of weather or animals outside your tent.
Having an awesome sleep the next night.
The word "amazing" gets entirely too much use nowadays, but riding the highs and lows of outdoor living carries the most amazing package of feelings in the world. It is simple and extreme.
I've become more civilized since coming out of the woods late last September. Even out of the woods though, I was living hard up until April or so of this year, commuting 60 miles a day, 4-5 times a week on my bike through the winter, and working 3 and 4 jobs at a time...one of them overnight. It was a struggle that I grew to love. Every day was a new adventure. What do I wear? How bad are the roads? My feet are frozen...guess I better run with my bike until they thaw.
While I was in hell then, waking up from 1 hour sleeps and having to sprint on my bike for an hour and half to get to work, I look fondly back on those days. I think we all have times of struggle that we can remember, but appreciate them for making us tougher people. We do things sometimes because we have to pay the bills.
*****
Now that I work 3 minutes away from where I live, something's missing.
I've read about optimal challenge before. In order to stay focused, happy, and motivated, one needs to have a goal just out of reach, but ultimately reachable if enough work and effort is put in. A carrot on a string? I can't help but wonder if this feeling is the "depression" that so many people in our country deal with.
Let's face it, as a whole we aren't worried about our next meal. We are skating through life. Surviving isn't even on our radar. We are head and shoulders over "just surviving" because gas is $3.50 a gallon and cigarettes are $7.00 a pack, and we still buy it. We are still paying $3 at Starbucks for coffee. We are force fed by the media that our economy is bad, but in reality it won't be "bad" until a majority of us are going by foot or bike, and that 20 minute drive to the city to get groceries is not an option. And then is that even bad? You'd spend your money at the local stores.
Would it be terrible if we couldn't afford cable or DISH?
Would the world end if you couldn't pay that extra $30-$50 for your data package?
What would you do with all the extra time you'd have if you couldn't get internet at home?
Maybe the USA could use some more Optimal Challenge. Maybe the economy should get "bad", so we can fight more for what we have. It wouldn't hurt anyone in this country to live a little harder and be a little more minimal...it may just make us happier.
kp
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