Over the course of last year, I read a book called Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It’s a “daybook of comfort and joy,” with an entry for every day of the year, exploring topics such as gratitude, joy, and self acceptance. It’s been around a while; I remember seeing copies belonging to both my mother and college roommate. I picked mine up at a used book sale several years ago and finally decided to go through the whole thing, day by day.
One of my all-time favorite quotes is by Charles Kingsley, who said, “We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” I first discovered this quote while living in Africa, where it couldn’t have been more relevant. Faced with the least amount of comfort and luxury I had ever experienced, I was, for the most part, very happy, pleased with my path in life, and enthusiastic about my work, halting and plodding though it may have been.
While flipping through an issue of Dwell magazine, I came across an interesting ad. Ten seemingly random items — a ticket stub, a birdhouse, a striped glass plate — were scattered across the page. Curious, I paused to read the descriptions provided on a notecard graphic at the bottom of the ad. The items were the “ten most precious objects” of Elizabeth Cochrane of Chicago, Illinois. Small print across the bottom of the page provided an invitation to “see your life illuminated” and submit your own precious objects at www.ylighting.com for a chance to win a table lamp.
My interest was piqued. I started to wonder what my own ten objects would be. Along with my desire to simplify (and an impending move) comes the need to evaluate the importance of my acquisitions.
So Ryan just bought this book, Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care. Yes, it’s an entire book on bowel maintenance, and like a train wreck, it’s simultaneously horrifying and fascinating.
Dr. Jensen has spent his entire career studying the bowel and its relationship with the rest of the body. He believes that the average person has about ten pounds — ten pounds — of putrid, decaying fecal matter lodged in the colon, and that this buildup of toxic material is often the cause of chronic disease in other parts of the body.
My boyfriend Ryan recently made an appointment to get a new tattoo on a Friday evening. Knowing the tattoo was going to be large and would take several hours to complete, I suggested we go out to dinner beforehand. A friend of his who was also a part of the conversation laughed and said “I love how you guys plan everything around food.” His comment surprised me. I love food, but I didn’t think anyone else had noticed.
