Freak

Today the cat came out of the bag at work about me. That I don't have electricity. The age range of workers in my department is roughly 20 to 60 something. We were talking about not having a computer at home. The kids couldn't imagine life without a computer at their disposal 24/7.
"How about living without electricity?" There I said it. Stunned silence. When they gathered their wits, they were curious why someone would do that and then how one does it.
"What when it is really hot?"
"I sweat." A totally foreign concept.
Later in the day one of the older crew members asked in a conspiratorial tone, "Why do you really not have electricity?"
In all honesty that is a good question. The easy answer is I was out of work for almost a year and I ran out of money. That, at least, is understandable. But I'm working again now and can make a plan to get it back on. But I haven't. So what is it that I am doing?
I do think that what I am doing has been years in the making. So many years in fact that it feels like it comes from deep within. Every time now I feel too much stuff building up around me, I feel compelled to move it on. I do still buy things, mostly books, but nowhere near what I once did. Sometimes I regret it after and those are the times I just felt the need to buy something.
A big part of what I'm doing is political. I do believe until we take personal responsibility to be mindful about our consumption, we can't just stand and point fingers and say "oh we use too much oil." Well yes we do; so what are you going to do about it? What am I going to do about it?
I jokingly - but not really said "I hate to be beholding to the man." I really do. I always have. When I look at my utility bills, especially the electric bill, I don't so much have a problem with the usage part. It's been watching the surcharges and taxes creep past the usage figure I have a problem with.
So it's an ongoing thing to figure out- what it is I'm doing. I do know living closer to nature is easier if you don't have electricity. If you don't want to take the full leap try just unplugging your T.V. That's an eye opener in itself.