We are born into this world with absolutely nothing and, it seems, that for most of us, the rest of our lives are devoted to seeing how much of this earth’s goods we can add to that ‘nothing.’ We learn early about ownership, as soon as we try to take a toy that belongs to another, the lesson is learned. The Bill of Rights is something so natural we sometimes wonder why it needed to be written. It “…prohibits the federal government from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property, etc.” If anyone, let alone the government, tries depriving another of their right to property, of any kind, their right to bear arms will become apparent, as well. We are born gatherers. In order to survive, we need clothing, we need shelter, we need food, and we acquire a need for many other things.
The learning process begins with our parents, and our life experiences train us to become more and more sophisticated at gathering. Those who become most proficient at gathering are those in our society who have large homes, nice cars and all the trappings that go along with them. They are the elite and affluent in society and are honored for their gathering skills, but no one would dare call it that. They are the high achievers and we praise them for their achievements. Everyone can identify the high achievers by virtue of the things that they have.
Regardless of one’s level of achievements, the ‘things’ in life that we are able to gather are ours, and we hang onto them for dear life. People have been shot, maimed and even killed while arguing with another over the smallest and most insignificant ‘thing’ that belonged to one of them. I remember a song that was popular when I was a teenager that went something like this, sans the music, of course. “Oh, don’t rob another man’s castle, for he’s like a King on a throne. It may be a shack down alongside the track, but everything in it’s his own.” I loved the tune that went with the words, and I used to hum it over and over again until someone would tell me to “please be quiet!” They couldn’t stand hearing it one more time.
There is a homeless person that frequents a downtown Ogden City area, and he can be seen daily with his grocery cart stacked full of old clothes and ‘things.” The cart is stacked so high and wide that you have to wonder how he keeps it all in and on his cart. He pushes it carefully from one area to another, and because it is so heavy, he has to stop and rest every once in a while. To him, his belongings are just as valuable as the rich man’s belongings are to him. “…and everything in it’s his own!”
Ownership is also a God-given right, as implied by ‘Thou shalt not steal…Thou shalt not covet…anything that is thy neighbors.’ Coveting is a common practice among the living; we often admire what others have. We begin wishing we could have one like it. We see, we want, we desire. A ‘desire’ often becomes a powerful driving force in our lives, and we rest uneasily until the desired object becomes ours. There is a story about ‘desire’ that makes it clear that our sometimes insatiable wants can never be controlled until we understand ‘desire’. Once a desire is satisfied the ‘thing’ loses its value, and we come to understand that a desire is no more than that, a ‘desire’. Once understood, we may then be able to control it and instead of going after a new ‘thing’, we might be able to direct our time and energy in the pursuit of more productive interests.
As gatherers grow old, their accumulations become unmanageable; garages become storage spaces, and the transportation sits outside, unprotected. We save old things with the thought that they may come in handy one day. When an old item is needed, it can’t be found for being under all the other saved items, so a new one is bought. Many people die never itemizing their belongings and leaving everything for their kids to sort through.
In 2003 my wife and I decided that there were more important pursuits in life than ‘things,’ and the care and attention needed to maintain them. We, like many others, had a houseful. We decided that we were going to give our children everything of ours that they wanted, and we would only keep the least amount of things we needed to maintain a simple life in a small apartment. By doing so, we would have more time to do our family history. We were successful in that we did not hold back; we gave it all away. Whatever they wanted they could have, both the old and the new. We came to realize that much of it was unwanted and therefore just ‘things’ to be sent to the Deseret Industries or the dump.
We were successful in moving from being gatherers to dispersers, without looking back. We now are very careful in what we purchase and try to give away things quickly that we do not use and/ or need. We live a simple, plain and unassuming lifestyle. Material desires that at one time occupied our thoughts, energy and time are essentially only memories of our past. We still enjoy ‘things’ and understand the needs of younger people to have ‘things’ but we are glad that it is they that have them. We also hope that everyone will understand ‘desire,’ so that they will have some control over their gathering years. We love our simple lifestyle, and our energy is spent in doing what needs to be done with minimal attraction for, and distraction coming from, the material world. There is a saying, “Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.” Jo and I are content with what we have, and our mission is plain before us.