Examination and removal

It is not difficult to examine your life. You simply sit down and begin an inventory or accomplishments, wants, needs, and methods for obtaining those things. If you are in the middle class, like myself, you do this sporadically. Meaning, not often enough.

The weight of the world got you down? Of course it does. And we can all list our grievances. I'll do some of mine right now (keep in mind I don't subscribe to any political party):
1. The government mined my paycheck for unemployment insurance. I can put my own money in a savings account.
2. The government pilfers paychecks for involuntary participation in a savings program it titled Social Security. I can save for my own retirement.
3. Most of us get fined for having jobs. They call it Income Tax.
4. If you are a veteran (like me) they attempt to kill us off.
5. The oligarchs that rule us really are not any more intelligent than us. In fact they are negligible when compared to a Rhesus Monkey.
6. We are a series of disconnected communities, amid disconnected families, and individuals are feeling disconnected. Oh woe is me.

I could go on. And on. And on. You get the point? I hate politics, but it seems they, whoever "they" are, want me to be a part of it. So I examined it and found it wanting. It lacked any benefit or beauty. It is not a necessity. Eons upon centuries have given birth to examples of groups of people who had no government, no politic. They not only survived, but thrived. Which brings me to this question:
Is it possible to shun participation, at least slightly, and still function? To create? To be happy?

How would this look?

Well you could quit your job. But how would you and your family survive? Okay, only one of you quit. Oh no! Now you can't go to Disney World! What will you do?

How about anything else? Anything other than going to Disney World. How about removing those ideas and things that suck your marrow and blood? They leave us all dried up, withered and frustrated. How about not worrying about retirement? The Amish don't. They work as long as they are able, and then their families step in.

Or how about this: Distributism
Or maybe read this: Fr. Vincent McNabb

The principles can be applied, to an extent, without access to a number of acres. A backyard garden, walks instead of drives, and talking, reading, and writing. Instead of watching something for entertainment, constantly.

I like technology as much as the next person (Amish aside). I don't think I would ever shun it for a frugal existence which avoided anything that involved electricity. What I have decided upon is a minor experiment. Limited technology use. I will not watch television. Remember that crap from middle school? Or maybe high school? The teachers asked the students to give it up for one week. What should I allow?
1. Books and other reading material. I will not limit this to those printed on paper. Ebooks and electronic magazines are fine. But no videos.
2. Walking and observing the natural order.
3. Discussions
4. Music. I think I can get away with allowing digital with this as well. I also think "radio dramas" would be allowed. My grandparents listened to them.

So I guess this would not be so much an exercise in technology shunning as much as it is a limiting. think 1930s entertainment, without movies.

What might happen with this removal? Well, I probably would be in the dark regarding current events. Most of the news and information fed to the masses is in the form of easy to consume visuals. While that might be more informative to some, is it? Does it inform? What does it do? What would happen if it were limited to only text, or possibly some audio?

I will report my findings, and possibly some methods, Sunday-SUNDAY- Sunday. (Say it in your best SuperMotoCross Championships voice).