Less is more: The Case for Minimalism

     When we talk about "less" and "more", it has to be applied to something. In the case of minimalism, it can be said to apply to complexity, accumulation, and "overhead" -- and, likely, many other things. There may be a better word than overhead -- happy to hear suggestions. Overhead is that extra amount (of time, distance, effort) that is required beyond what is needed for what you really want to accomplish.
     It is rare that a week goes by without some (hopefully small) "glitch" occurring to make me aware how complicated "normal" things in my life really are -- which usually claims an hour or two of my schedule. This past week, it was a matter of rain causing a short in the exterior line connections for our Internet connection -- it triggered the "Ground Fault Interrupter" (GFI) breaker of the outlet to which the optical interface device was plugged. Luckily, repetition of specific problems make them quicker to figure out. (The first time it occurred, it took about six hours including an hour and a half on the phone with my Internet provider.)
     Just tackling the INSIDE configuration of our Internet connection, our house has routers (WiFi and Ethernet -- same devices, different connection methods), gateway, and optical network interface. Plus, there are all of the cables, power and signal, connecting everything. During that first (six hour) session of determining the cause of our network failure, we analyzed each segment of this configuration, one at a time. At the end of the period with the Internet service provider, we had eliminated everything that could be checked remotely -- so a service call was set up. And, so it would have remained if I hadn't been sure that there was a contradiction between their tests and my understanding of the network. Their test of the optical network interface was from the network side. But, it turned out that the GFI had popped that time also. From the network side it "worked" fine -- but, without proper power, it did not actually function.
     So, do I want to eliminate my Internet connection to simplify my life? No, I don't. However, I remain fully aware of how much simpler it is to take a book from a shelf and read it as opposed to all that can go wrong with streaming a video.
     In the region of accumulation, we recently moved to another place which has 40% less square footage than the previous place. We spent four months just trying to reduce stuff to be able to fit (concentrating on the larger furniture items). We STILL have a garage full at the new place which, especially with my wife's efforts, are being slowly sorted through. Our next place (once our younger sons have moved out) will probably be 40 to 50% less in size than this place (giving a net reduction of around 2/3 over a space of five or six years). We are trying to follow "the houseboat rule". This came from a friend who had a houseboat on Lake Union near Seattle. If you bring something onto the houseboat then something has to leave the houseboat -- otherwise you would eventually find yourself sinking into the lake. The strange thing is that the more things we get rid of the easier it is to do. (Not easy -- just easier.) It is a matter of reaching the point of no longer considering whether an item is useful or not -- they often are -- but, rather, a matter of whether we want to haul it around, find space for it, and have our children have to deal with it after our passage.
     I worked remotely, from my home, for over twenty years. It works really great for someone who is self-organized AND has a tightly focused goal or assignment. I was helping to create a large portfolio of software for my company. I worked hard and, sometimes, long. Working remotely was great for the goal. But, when we had created our portfolio, and did not know quite what was best for us to do next, working remotely was not as effective. Yet, at present, the majority of jobs in my work arena include a 3-hour round-trip commute (in less-than-pleasant traffic). Three hours of commuting for nine hours of work -- or a 25% overhead (3 hours of the 12 total). Many people do it and, perhaps, I will have to do it also at some point. But do I want that? Not particularly.
     Thoreau once talked about how there are equivalencies -- how much time must you work to be able to afford a ticket on a train to somewhere versus how much time needed to walk there. Of course, the actual economics depend on the time in history and the economic conditions of the specific area. We trade off the convenience (when it all works) of electronic media versus the simplicity (but bulk) of physical media. We accumulate things but, at some point, we can no longer "take it with us" -- so, why accumulate? We spend hours getting to and from a job. Should we move? What is the effect of moving?
     Minimalism is not "the" answer for everyone -- but we should all be conscious of our choices and the real cost of our choices.