SageTree

I disagree that people willingly get into the rat race. It might seem willing and this is where you are coming to collision with that. You have stepped into a conscious relm where YOU are the willing one now. I feel that ignorance to options or even the question of alternatives, are what gets 'society' to the point it is.

This is the hard part of enlightened thinking. What do you do with it?

First off, I love you Ted. I like you the way you are, for as well as I know you. What you are asking is something I can closely relate to. In 2004 my life was already full of lots of changes in my life regaurding who I was 'supposed' to be. 4 years out of highschool. No college. No 'career'. For the last two years of my life I had been dating my soon to be with in Sept of 04. Which had dramitically catapolted my life into the place I dreamt of. I met a person who helped me feel okay to be me. So the catalyst of confusion was taking form in this part of my life. I had given up meat for 2 years. My Dad didn't understand why I didn't want to go hunting and why I didn't want to take my guns from the house. The environment of my changing was turbulent and required alot of acceptance on both sides. I changed they didn't. I had to give them a break. So I shared bit at a time how my life and thoughts had changed, why things were important. What a Unitarian Universalist was. What my goals where and emphisize that I was happy. I was making $10/hr in a greenhouse job I loved, and didn't have any other plans. My wife and I traveled had a car and rented. We both worked and had alot of money.

Then we moved to Canada, which is a whole side story and coast change of acceptance, and really downsized our life to simplify. For a few months before our money cleared we had to live in $1000 for 3 months, not including our rent. Things got pretty bleak, but I found a job when my permit came. I supported my wife and I with all our needs in $14/hr, in Vancouver which is mad expensive, and still managed to pay $10k out of my $25kish salary. I still went for beers saw movies went to parties, traveled ect ect...I never felt at a loss.

For the last year we have been living on $15k per year, working spuratically. Explaining to family it's not that I cant' work, its that I don't want/have to. Eplaining to emplyers why I ONLY want part time.

After a few years of seriousness and laughs, my Mom inparticular has come to find 'salvation' of sorts in my life, she has stated. Her religious ideas have grown and made her happy. Also it gave her the courage to quit her job of 30 years and pursue something she likes. My Step Mom makes me meatless dishes even though ' she doesn't understand' and my uber christian Grama sees I'm not dead from not eating meat.

My Step Dad is proud of us both because we live freely and have no debt. His sons, who make over $100k a year still have to ask him for money! How's that for embarrassment? Slaves to debt and 'the dream'

Live life for yourself, it's the only one you got. Everything changes, you opinion of Self, and others perception of you. I know for damn sure alot of people think I must be crazy, in my life. But dang man, they know I'm all happy and it brings them happiness too.


Your Friend
Sage

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