Whenever I have someone come visit I get to see how I live through the eyes of an outsider. My “simple living” lifestyle seems to be quite complex when I consider it in this way. There are many things I end up explaining.
First, it they want hot water, I tell them it is off during the summer and takes about 15 minutes to heat up. “Just let me know and I’ll switch it on at the breaker.” The compost toilet is easier to explain and I have instructions posted next to it.
This morning my guest questioned me about my breakfast. My cast iron pan with chili and rice just “showed up” all heated, “Where did that come from?” I explained that I have a hot plate outside that I use in the summer in order to avoid heating up the house more than I have to.
Last night my guest was going to help me put out my laundry on the line, but she was hesitant to walk through my laundry room when I introduced her to the resident black widow. She is a very fine spider and is slowly taking over the small space with an elaborate web. I am still baffled about where she came from. I haven’t seen a black widow since I lived in rural California.
The quirks in my lifestyle seem to go on and on. I weigh and measure most of my food and much of the food in the fridge is in individual servings. This is unusual since I cook all my food from scratch. Lost of glass containers. It really is quite lovely.
There is no dining room table to eat on and the living room is a big empty space perfect for internal arts practice or just rolling around on the floor. No sofa to sit on there. I love my space. The set up just reflects my living choices. I don’t really notice how different I am to others until they come over and I think about it.