Okay, I write about simplicity every day, but what’s the real story? I always wonder what goes on behind the scenes at other blogs, so I thought I’d shed a little light on what my life is really like.
What got you started on your simplicity kick?
To be honest, I’m not truly sure. I think I wanted to be able to scale back without worrying about keeping up a consumer lifestyle. Also, I think being in a house (instead of an apartment that was temporary for me) made me want to take control of my surroundings. There were lots of things that contributed, among them: frugality, style, laziness, and maturity. As I grow up, I need fewer things to define myself.
Do you follow all your own advice?
I’d say I’ve got an 80 percent follow-through rate. I do pretty much all the things I recommend, just not all of the time.
Have you always enjoyed simplicity?
Nope. I used to collect everything, from vintage Barbies to Elvis albums. Collections can be important, since they help us define our personalities in a tangible way. But I’m just not in that kind of mode right now.
What’s the most satisfying part of simplifying?
The feeling that I don’t need much to get by. No matter what happens in life, I know that I’ll be okay because my priorities are in order, with “stuff” at the bottom of the list.
Is your home fabulous?
Nope. But it’s not bad. I learned how to pick wall colors the hard way, and the home is still recovering. (P.S. Neon blue is not meant for walls. Trust me.)
What clutter are you still clinging to?
Books. I’ve gotten much better (I used to be a flat-out book hoarder), but I still have a lot around that were good, but not great. For me, getting rid of books is a process. I can take out one here and one there, but doing a massive dump would be painful.
What’s the messiest part of your home?
Probably the laundry room. I leave stuff hanging in there all the time and never clean the corners. Is it wrong that the room dedicated cleaning is the messiest?
What’s the single most important step a person can take toward simplicity?
Realizing that your stuff doesn’t define you. You won’t forget who you are or what you like just because you get rid of things. Also, it’s important to know deep down inside that you don’t need to impress people with material things. The people you actually want in your life don’t really care about that, they care about how you treat them.
Tell me more about Roo.
He’s about two and a half years old, and we have no idea what he is. (Our best guess is Lab-Vizsla mix. That’s what everyone at the vet office thinks.) We adopted Roo from the local Humane Society after seeing his mug on their website. Fittingly enough for a tightwad, he was a bargain at $30, including crate, bed, and toys!
If there’s ever anything else you want to know, just ask. I’m pretty open about my life. I’m by no means perfect (or anything resembling it), but that’s perfectly fine with me.
译文:
扔掉不必要的麻烦，以简单的方式生活
好吧，虽然我每天都在写关于简朴的文章，但是，究竟什么才是真正的简朴呢？我总是想知道在其他那些博客背后发生着什么，那么，我想也许我应该也透露一些我自己的生活到底是什么样。
是什么让你开始追求简朴？
老实说，我自己也不清楚。我想我应该要减少支出，这样我就不必因为要保持消费的生活方式而担心受怕。此外，在房子里（对我而言，不是那些只是临时的公寓），让我想要能掌控我周围的一切。这一切很多，包括：节约，风格，懒惰和成熟。当我成年时，我不希望太多东西会束缚我。
你都按照自己的原则做了吗？
我自己做到了80％。虽然不是时时都做到，但我的确都做好了自己建议的所有的事。
你是不是一直都喜欢简朴？
不是。我曾经收集过很多东西，从经典的芭比娃娃到猫王的音乐专辑都有。收集是很重要的，因为它可以让我们以一种具体有形的方式来判断自己的性格，只是现在我已经不再这样做了。
简朴最让你满意的是什么？
那种不必再需要很多的感觉。不管生活里发生什么，我都可以处之泰然，因为我最重要的事都井然有序，一切都一目了然。
你的家是不是很棒？
不是，但也不差。我学会了选择不易选的墙色，而目前它仍在恢复中。（另外，相信我，霓虹蓝不适合墙壁。）
你什么东西仍然弄得乱七八糟？
书。我已经变好很多（我曾是个不遗余力的书籍收藏者）,但我仍然有很多那些不错但又不是很好的书。对于我来说，丢弃书本是一个过程，我可以从这里或那里拣出一本，但是让我一次扔掉很多确实很痛苦的。
你家里哪里最乱？
可能是洗衣间。我总是把所有的东西都挂在那，并且从不清理角落。那些本该干净的房间确最乱是不是错了？
可以让一个人变得简朴的最简单最重要的步骤是什么？
认识到你的东西不会限制你。你不会因为处理掉一些东西而忘记你是谁或你是怎样的人。同样，深刻认识到你不必用物质的东西去让别人有深刻印象也很重要。你生命里愿意结交的人并不会介意那些东西，他们只在意你会如何对待他们。
告诉我更多关于Roo的信息。
他大约两岁半，而我们基本不了解他。（我们最好的顾客是，这是兽医办公室公认的。）在当地保护动物协会的网站上看到Roo的照片后，我们收养了他。这只需要30美元，还包括了运输的箱子，床和玩具，对于我们这些小气鬼，这再适合不过了！
如果你想知道任何事，尽管问。我不介意公开我的生活。我绝不是完美的（或是任何类似的），但那对我来说是再完美不过的了。