How to Live a Simple Life

Andrea R Huelsenbeck

Jul 2

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.