Living poverty: a year without new possessions

[Egeria]

Today I faced another challenge to my decision not to buy anything: I accidentally put my favourite rosary through the washing machine (a beautiful handmade olivewood one from Bethlehem) and it has lost its warm honey-coloured sheen, the texture has altered, and a couple of beads are chipped. My impulse was to run down the road and get another one like it. They cost the equivalent of $4, so not much. I had to tell myself sternly that it's still good to pray with even if it doesn't look and feel the same in my hands any more, and in any case a weather-beaten rosary is a sign of a well-used rosary, which is good. I am far too attached to externals when I pray, like the feel of the wood as it moves through my fingers and even the weight of the rosary, the size of the beads. I like it always to feel the same. I hadn't realised that until now.

Beatitude, for what it's worth, I once did that with a similar rosary that I was very attached to. But, to my surprise, I discovered that the beads actually regained their shine (or at least some of it) with use. Handling the wooden beads means that they get polished by the oil from our hands. Much later, I discovered that a similar principle applies to leather-bound books - the simple act of handling them with our hands helps to nourish the leather and keep it supple. So, don't give up on your rosary...

[Feankie]

I stopped drinking Diet Coke "cold-turkey"about 2 years ago and dropped about 20 pounds without trying,  I was SOOO bad I kept an "emergency" bottle in my car just in case I ran out.  Water is so much better for your health, not to mention cheaper.

[beatitude]

Beatitude, for what it's worth, I once did that with a similar rosary that I was very attached to. But, to my surprise, I discovered that the beads actually regained their shine (or at least some of it) with use. Handling the wooden beads means that they get polished by the oil from our hands. Much later, I discovered that a similar principle applies to leather-bound books - the simple act of handling them with our hands helps to nourish the leather and keep it supple. So, don't give up on your rosary...

Some of the beads have turned almost bleach-white, so I doubt it can ever be restored to how it was, but hopefully it will regain a bit of its old lustre. If not, I will just learn to like it as it is now - all these little things are important in becoming more detached.

I stopped drinking Diet Coke "cold-turkey"about 2 years ago and dropped about 20 pounds without trying,  I was SOOO bad I kept an "emergency" bottle in my car just in case I ran out.  Water is so much better for your health, not to mention cheaper.

I'm underweight as it is, so I don't think my Diet Coke habit is having this effect on me. I am going to stop cold turkey too. How difficult was that for you? I manage it in Lent but always end up going back to it when Lent is over. I have one last bottle in the house, and when that's gone, I will just carry my water flask everywhere with a bit of lime or lemon in it for flavour.

[Yaatee]

Some of the beads have turned almost bleach-white, so I doubt it can ever be restored to how it was, but hopefully it will regain a bit of its old lustre. If not, I will just learn to like it as it is now - all these little things are important in becoming more detached.

I'm underweight as it is, so I don't think my Diet Coke habit is having this effect on me. I am going to stop cold turkey too. How difficult was that for you? I manage it in Lent but always end up going back to it when Lent is over. I have one last bottle in the house, and when that's gone, I will just carry my water flask everywhere with a bit of lime or lemon in it for flavour.

Good for all of you! I think that I will too--tho' I don't drink much anyway.  Francis Clare--good for you!

We keep water in the frig' in glass bottles. We get copies of old fashioned ones from Lehman's Hardware in Kidron OH, a large store which caters to the Amish and Mennonites there-and is also online:

https://www.lehmans.com/p-3344-old-fashioned-milk-bottles.aspx

...but any glass bottle will do, of course. The effect is like real Coke in those little 6 oz glass bottles: it tastes better.  For unknown reasons, water taste delicious  when drunk from the frig', stored in glass bottles.

[Feankie]

Once I made up my mind that I was going to do it, it was not hard at all.  Certainly not as hard as I expected it would be.  I was so addicted to the stuff that I would have a can or bottle in my hand the moment I woke up and one in my hand right before I turned out the light at night to sleep.  As I said, it got so bad that I kept an emergency bottle or can in my car just in case.  I think I drank at least 5 cans or small bottles a day at a minimum.

I haven't been tempted to cheat even if we were out and there was nothing else to drink as the water tasted terrible.  I carry a bottle of flavored Stevia drops in my purse to add to water or unsweetened ice tea.  The plain drops for the tea and Vanilla Creme or Toffee for the water.  My family and friends know that if they offer me any type of diet soda (or any ssugared soda, for that matter) I will deck them !!!

[Gabriela]

Today I faced another challenge to my decision not to buy anything: I accidentally put my favourite rosary through the washing machine (a beautiful handmade olivewood one from Bethlehem) and it has lost its warm honey-coloured sheen, the texture has altered, and a couple of beads are chipped. My impulse was to run down the road and get another one like it. They cost the equivalent of $4, so not much. I had to tell myself sternly that it's still good to pray with even if it doesn't look and feel the same in my hands any more, and in any case a weather-beaten rosary is a sign of a well-used rosary, which is good. I am far too attached to externals when I pray, like the feel of the wood as it moves through my fingers and even the weight of the rosary, the size of the beads. I like it always to feel the same. I hadn't realised that until now.

Rub it with olive oil. The shine should come back, and the nice texture.

[vee]

Instead of starting a new thread I thought Id put this here as its along similar lines.  I just realized that if I were to go to the convent Id be permitted to bring one or two photos.  ONE or TWO!  I HAVE THOUSANDS!  Some are very dear because they are of now deceased family members and the rest are years of memories.  Id probably go through them getting rid of the excess and leave the important ones with my sister but still the thought of giving up treasured photos and mementos is hard.  I guess its not supposed to be easy but like I said I just realized my attachment.

[marigold]

Instead of starting a new thread I thought Id put this here as its along similar lines.  I just realized that if I were to go to the convent Id be permitted to bring one or two photos.  ONE or TWO!  I HAVE THOUSANDS!  Some are very dear because they are of now deceased family members and the rest are years of memories.  Id probably go through them getting rid of the excess and leave the important ones with my sister but still the thought of giving up treasured photos and mementos is hard.  I guess its not supposed to be easy but like I said I just realized my attachment.

Yeah, I have no idea how to approach that. What do you do with all the rest?? Throw them out?

[HopefulHeart]

Instead of starting a new thread I thought Id put this here as its along similar lines.  I just realized that if I were to go to the convent Id be permitted to bring one or two photos.  ONE or TWO!  I HAVE THOUSANDS!  Some are very dear because they are of now deceased family members and the rest are years of memories.  Id probably go through them getting rid of the excess and leave the important ones with my sister but still the thought of giving up treasured photos and mementos is hard.  I guess its not supposed to be easy but like I said I just realized my attachment.

That does sound hard. Could you create some kind of collage of the important photos, so that most of them are grouped together in one or two frames?

[Swami Mommy]

Scan and save all your photos to a file in your family's computer hard drive and also to a CD to consolidate your collection into something portable.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Swami Mommy

[marigold]

That does sound hard. Could you create some kind of collage of the important photos, so that most of them are grouped together in one or two frames?

Scan and save all your photos to a file in your family's computer hard drive and also to a CD to consolidate your collection into something portable.

That doesn't really sacrifice anything though, it just streamlines the medium.

Is the goal to have small, minimalist stuff or to sacrifice something? ‌@vee was talking about if she enters the convent so that's how I was  rolling with it. For people living in society who are just looking to streamline or downsize, it may be different.

[vee]

Im guessing swami mommy might mean  a way to tidy things up and be able to pass them along to family.  I have a removable hard drive so Id just go through everything and save the important things on there to give to my sister.    To take with me Id probably edit my loved ones into one or two reasonable sized collages that I could print and take with. 

Ive actually started going through my pictures anyway on my computer and deleting ones that really arent important ie clouds.  I seem to have taken a lot of pics of various clouds    Good to tidy up irregardless!

[Feankie]

Why don't you scan in the photos to a thumb drive?  That way they are safe, in one place, and on a tiny device that can be accessed from any computer.

[BarbTherese]

This thread has been inspirational and motivational for me.  Thank you!

[vee]

Im not sure a thumb drive would be acceptable to bring to the convent if I went. For one its a cloister so very limited computer access if there is even access at all.  Im fairly certain actually that the superior is the only one that gets to use it for anything.  Secondly the superior said one or two photos, which coming from her literally means one or two old school hard copy  photos.

I doubt it would go well if I called her and said "but Motheeerrrrr I keep in touch with my family by snapchat, pictures are how I communicate I need to be able to keep and send more than one or two!"  

[Credo in Deum]

I really like this idea.  I have a problem with buying books; religious books. I keep seeing something Inlike or want to know about and boom impulse purchase, so support this decision. Yet I think a year is a pretty big leap for the first try.  I personally would have started with 3 months and then increased from there.  

@vee This will be really hard to do, I know because I've done it, but have you thought about burning the pictures? 

Edited July 16, 2015 by Credo in Deum

[beatitude]

Im not sure a thumb drive would be acceptable to bring to the convent if I went. For one its a cloister so very limited computer access if there is even access at all.  Im fairly certain actually that the superior is the only one that gets to use it for anything.  Secondly the superior said one or two photos, which coming from her literally means one or two old school hard copy  photos.

I doubt it would go well if I called her and said "but Motheeerrrrr I keep in touch with my family by snapchat, pictures are how I communicate I need to be able to keep and send more than one or two!"  

I think the best thing to do would be to sort through the photos with your sister and anyone else who might be interested in keeping them and let them choose which ones they want. Then together you should choose the ones to discard. This should make it clear to you which two you want to take to the monastery.

In entering the monastery, you wouldn't be turning your back on your memories, you would just be learning to remember loved ones and happy times in a new way. Everything is united in Christ, "things in heaven and things on earth", and they're all waiting for you in the heart of Jesus. As your prayer life in the monastery deepens you will find that. Giving the photos to someone who will cherish them and enjoy looking at them is a way of enriching their memories and a very nice gift for them - see it as passing mementos on rather than getting rid of them.

Update from me: Yesterday I went to the hairdresser. Normally I don't spend much on this kind of thing, but I'm a bridesmaid at the wedding of my childhood best friend next week, so I decided that I should go to a nice salon and have it done properly for the wedding. From this experience I have learned that a more expensive haircut at a swish salon is not necessarily a nicer haircut.  My usual hairdresser is much better. I also found that I missed her. I don't have my hair cut very often (I go twice a year if that, when my head is approaching "storks will nest here soon" state) but it's still nice to see her, and I didn't know how much I valued our occasional meetings and hearing about her life until I went somewhere else.

Edited July 16, 2015 by beatitude

[Swami Mommy]

Yes, I DID mean that you might want to download scanned copies of your photos to your family's computer for safekeeping, not to take them along with you to a monastery or convent on a CD or thumb drive.  However, that being said, how often have you really looked at all those photos of yours?  Are they THAT essential to your brain's memory banks? If I had to limit personal photos to take with me to only two, I would take a group photo of my extended family members (like a family reunion picture) and a group picture of my friends.

I tried to edit the above post but my computer froze.  I would change the two pictures to the family reunion picture which would also include my closest friends, and the second photo would be a close-up picture of my immediate family which I would continue to update over time.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Swami Mommy

[beatitude]

The past few days have been a test for what I mean by 'essential'. I'm back in the UK for several months. The only hooded waterproof coat I own is extremely thick and the sort of thing you'd wear on an Arctic expedition. I can't wear it now, I'd boil, but I have nothing else waterproof or with a hood. Judging this to be a case of necessity, I bought something. Once I'd done it, I was assailed by doubts, People who have no money to buy a light coat would just have to deal with it as best they can - carry an umbrella everywhere through the autumn, wear warm layers, and hope for the best. I backed out of an important part of this commitment by not trying to cope as they would cope. One of the early Church Fathers wrote, "Your second coat belongs to the poor" - not just that it would be a kind act to give it away, but that giving it away is simply restoring it to someone who should have it by right. And now I have not two but three coats.

Other things I am noticing: now that I can't buy anything new I'm having an urge to use skincare products I very rarely used before, things that are luxuries rather than essential to keeping clean. It's amazing how even the gentlest self-denial the body starts crying out for attention.

Edited September 2, 2015 by beatitude

[DominicanHeart]

I want to try this