SIMPLICITY

"Without"... not a word most of us like to hear. How did it become such a negative word in today's Western culture? Is it because we are bombarded with advertisements telling us that we "need" this and "need" that? DO we really need it? I am the first one to say to others that we can "have it all" if we want it, but at the end of the day - does it mean that we need to have it all, or can we be just as happy with the simple things in life - whatever each of us has decided those things are. In today's economy we are reminded that we can certainly live a life without things; and sometimes our lives are richer for it. For most people in Western culture, "things" define us, they mold us and the people around us. But why? Why can't people, warmth, a little food here and there with some cold water.. be enough? I ponder - is it because we grew up in a society of "things"? I've resigned to the thought that we can live without certain things, but what we cannot live without - no matter how simple life can get - is each other. Ever heard the story of the man who died alone on an island with all the fresh water and food he needed? That guy went crazy and he self destructed like an atomic bomb. The human being is built for interaction, emotion, and connection to another of its kind. So... no matter how simple we can make our lives to be; one thing remains true... its simple to delete "things", but when we delete people, we are just deleting ourselves.