I don’t know about you, but my life has become very complicated. Since Covid, my life revolves around taking care of my semi-disabled husband. I don’t go anywhere, except his doctor and physical therapy appointments, and quick trips to the grocery or hardware store.
I blame technology. Or it may be that I’ve just gotten too old.
To avoid having to navigate the grocery store, I’ve been ordering my purchases online and then picking them up. (Although my husband misses the supermarket. He makes me take him there for weekly outings.)
We both have been ordering things we need on Amazon, although Greg usually needs my help with anything involving the computer.
Is it just me, or is anything having to do with healthcare complicated now? Making a doctor appointment often involves being on hold for half an hour. And then you have to go to a patient portal to fill out paperwork. And my day is constantly interrupted by automated messages asking me to confirm appointments. And trying to get a refill of a prescription is a nightmare. Everything is automated, with lots of unnecessary steps being repeated over and over. Somehow, the prescriptions never make it from my doctor’s office to the pharmacy on the first try. And the prescriptions aren’t ready when they’re promised. Arrgghh!
I’ve been trying to figure out how to simplify my life. What does a simple life look like? How do I get there?
This is what I’ve come up with so far:
- Pray every day, every hour, every minute.
- Don’t ever get sick.
- Laugh.
- Drink lots of water.
- Eat lots of vegetables.
- Walk a mile every day. While you’re walking, notice things that are beautiful. Smile at the people who are walking dogs or accompanying children or working in their yards.
- Stay single. (Oops. Too late for me. Maybe for you too.)
- Don’t have kids. (Oops. Also too late.)
- Be selective about who you give your phone number and/or email to.
- If you live in a small town, consider staying there for the rest of your life.
- Stay away from social media. (Yeah, big talk for a blogging lady.)
- Don’t acquire lots of stuff.
- Give away your stuff. Keep only those things you use and/or love. When your living area gets cluttered, give away more stuff.
- If you can’t get by on public transportation, buy a really good used car, if you can find one. Not a flashy or expensive car. By good, I mean a reliable car that will get you from point A to point B. Not red. One or two years old, with as low mileage as you can find (under 15,000, if possible) and keep up with maintenance. Then drive it for about 200,000 miles or 15 years, whichever comes first.
- Find two or three people whom you really like, people who are smarter and kinder than you. Cultivate them as friends. Keep in touch with them. Get together often. Learn as much as you can from them. Every few years, add one more person like that to your circle.
- Despite point #7, it does really help to have someone you love. Maybe pick someone from point #15 to marry.
That’s the best I can come up with.
Now it’s your turn, creative people. What did I miss? What are your best strategies for simplifying your life? Share in the comments below.
ARHtistic License 
If I had as many interruptions from messages as you seem to have, I would withdraw permission for medical offices to contact me by message and ask them to use email instead. I check email once a day, and even that probably is more than I need. I do not want to be available to any and all 24/7 just because I have a cell phone. (Remember when all we had was a land line and when we were out we were unreachable? Sigh…)
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Email is no better for me–I get 100 emails a day (I’m not exaggerating) and although I regularly unsubscribe from everything I can, between the blogs I follow and the stores that I really like to know what’s on sale at, I can’t open every single email, and they don’t come through as “Dr. Smith’s office,” it would be more like Community Medical Group or something bland like that, and I would miss it. (That’s why I don’t want bills by email.) I’d rather a live person would call me, but that’s a courtesy that’s unaffordable today.
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I do believe in simple .If you know of such a car I am in need of one. I will admit that not having my husband around is a bummer. There are just some things I can’t do or consider to dangerous to do myself. But…I keep going…you must too.
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I like to shop for used cars at dealerships–I feel I have more recourse if something isn’t right. They usually do a good job of rehabilitating the pre-owned cars. Unfortunately, due to the chip shortage, there are few new cars available, so people are unable to trade in their used cars. . . I went shopping with my son for one last October, and we were able to find a good one the third place we went. It was about $2500 more than we wanted to spend, but we grabbed it.
You have to be willing to walk out of the dealership if they don’t have something suitable. Most of the cars close to our price range were elderly. 8 months later, his car is still running really well. We’re blessed.
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In simple be happy 🙂
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If only it were that simple! Yes, I am content, though my circumstances aren’t always ideal. I’m just frazzled and overwhelmed at times.
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I LOVE your list and can easily subscribe to most of it! Life travels far too quickly to not pray always and notice the beauty all around you. Humming birds and yellow finches, downy woodpeckers and mourning doves (country pigeons) to name a few at the feeders. Flowers abound in the field that are so tiny but so very hardy to the gorgeous blooms that you tend to oh so carefully from spring to fall. And as much as I dislike, (fear even at times) driving in the snow in winter it shines so bright on the few sunny days of winter and glitters on moon lit nights is straight from heaven itself.
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Wow, this is like a poem! Thank you for sharing your thoughts so eloquently, Joni!
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