This Way of Life

Sometimes, before you know it you have adopted a way of life so completely different to the way you used to live. Over time, your habits change and, next thing you know, your mannerisms are completely different and your ways of doing things are such that you’ve only read about them in books.

I found myself in that position today.

After yesterday’s Day of Silence I decided today would be a great day to get some stuff done around the house. I needed to do some dishes up, and the dust needed battling again. I had this nice cucumber and some tomatoes I was going to put in with that home made dressing concocted last week, and there was this tee-shirt I needed to hand wash, and while I’m at it I may as well wash the mud off my jeans cuffs…

Dishes: done. Dusting and dustmopping: done. Cucumber and tomato salad? I’ll wait till after I get the laundry washed, that way the clothes have longer to hang outside in the sunshine to get that extra burst of sweetness. While they dry I’ll chop veggies and make salad.

Whilst washing my shirt is when it happened.

I started thinking about all the things I do differently now, from when I lived in the States. A few months ago I bought a shopping cart so that I don’t have to carry my heavy bottles of yogurt on the bus, off the bus and down those alleyways home. In the states I would have been mortified to be seen pulling such a cart.

Other things: Since I’ve been here I’ve not used a dishwasher, even when I was visiting stateside last summer. I’ve ridden in a car maybe a handful of times and driven not at all. Boiling a kettleful of water for small chores (washing face and brushing teeth included), rather than using hot water from the tap. Forget that prepackaged, prewashed, prepared bag of veggies, either frozen or refrigerated (such as lettuce). Now I head to the farmer’s market every few days for fresh produce. I’ve long forsaken the clothes dryer in favor of hanging my clothes outside, even in the winter. And now I’m handwashing my clothes.

I recoiled in horror: what is happening to me??? I’ve become… *GASP!* I’ve become MY GRANDMOTHER!!!

I’ve adopted a lifestyle much more in keeping with turn of the century America – that would be the 20^th century, not the 21^st. Forsaking modern conveniences in favor of doing things the old-fashioned way, even when there are machines available to do my work for me? Walking and taking the bus rather than calling for a cab to take me right to my doorstep? Cooking and eating in every day instead of going out? Getting on my hands and knees to mop my floors?

In the states I never would have dreamed I would prefer handwashing clothes to throwing them in the machine or throwing them out and buying new if they start to look dingy – a common former practice of mine. I certainly cannot afford to just throw clothes away anymore. Who knows if I’d be able to find anything here that will fit me?  

I do have a washing machine and I do make use of it occasionally, if I let my laundry pile grow. But, as long as I keep up with it I only have to wash one shirt or one set of undergarments at a time. Why use the washing machine for that?   

I had to laugh. I am living more in keeping with this anachronistic society every day, even after years of conditioning to modern conveniences and progressive attitudes. I guess the Chinese matrons and I can have competitions on who can hang their wash out the fastest, or the earliest.  

Could I go back to living where every modern convenience is available to me, and if so, could I go back to routinely using said conveniences? I honestly don’t know.

Let me go check on the laundry and start peeling veggies for my dinner while I think about it.