This past Friday, my little brother left for a Walden Pond trip with a group of teachers and students from his high school. So often when I think of high school summer trips, I picture disposable cameras, bus tours, and eating at Cracker Barrel. Not this one.
The packing list looked a little different. They could only take clothes that were writing and logo free, they had to take work boots, and books. Cameras, cell phones, mp3 players were forbidden (which makes for a long car ride from Michigan to Massachusetts...). Rather than buying cheap souvenirs, these kids are leaving their urban worlds and moving back a century or two in time. They are participating in farm chores, personal writing, and a whole lot of reading. Highschoolers are following Henry David Thoreau's lesson at Walden pond when he so eloquently said: "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity."
When I first heard that my little brother was going on this trip, I wondered "Why the world would anyone pay for a trip to do farm chores?!" However, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. These kids are leaving the commercial world into a life of enjoying the little things in life.
I've decided to look at my life in a more simple perspective. I can barely walk through my bedroom without stepping on clothes and old bank statements. If I didn't have all the junk I don't need, I wouldn't need to dedicate my entire Saturday afternoon to cleaning my room each week. Living simply allows a life of freedom to do the things you really want to do.
