The Simplicity Ritual
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The Simplicity Ritual

08 Feb The Simplicity Ritual

Posted at 06:00h in Uncategorized by

Today, it was a simple wooden chair. 

The week prior, it was a toaster, followed by a green casserole dish, a rake, a guitar, a watering can, a large watercolor painting, and a floor lamp.

Each morning, a single item is set out next to the driveway of a home in our neighborhood. By the end of the day, the item vanishes, presumably picked up by someone driving or walking by.

I imagine the people who pass by the discarded item. Some might be aware of this daily offering and make a habit of stopping by, curious about what new treasure might await. Others might stumble upon the item accidentally after taking a different turn while walking their dogs.

“I could use one of those,” the passerby must say to themselves as they pick up the item. 

I drive by the house every day on the way to the girls’ school, curious about the person (or people) who live here and their ritual of relinquishing one possession each day. 

I imagine that their house is like all of our houses: closets and drawers filled with possessions we have accumulated over the years and many things we have completely forgotten we owned. 

I wonder how they choose what to bring to the curb.

Maybe some choices are easy. They open a garage cabinet, wondering how it is that they acquired three watering cans and decide that two is more than enough. 

Maybe some of the choices are complicated. They pause as they stand in front of an overburdened shelf with their guitar resting on its side. Maybe the feelings of disappointment bubble up, reminding them of their long-ago wish to learn a few chords and be the kind of person who takes out the guitar at the end of the night to entertain friends in the backyard. 

Easy or hard, somehow something is selected and carefully brought outside. 

I picture them dusting off their hands and walking back into their home to drawers that freely open and shut and cabinets that softly close.

What a beautiful idea, to simplify one item at a time. 

Think of what it would be like to live in a home that is 365 items lighter a year from now.