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 Becoming A Leaver 
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Did anyone see the episode of Oprah where three middle class families decided to leave it all behind for a few months and try pioneer life? I thought of it last night after our discussion. Since seeing the show, I joke with my husband about how we should just leave this all behind and live off the land in some remote place. We put so much stress on ourselves and for what? To keep up with everyone else? It makes me wonder where everyone else is going that I feel such a need to keep up with them.


Thu Mar 27, 2003 11:32 pm
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That sounds neat....What did they all say about it after doing it?

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Fri Mar 28, 2003 8:41 am
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I, too, feel the need more and more to just disappear into parts unknown. I have definitely found that as I get older material things have little appeal. I look around my house and ask myself why I have so much "stuff."


Fri Mar 28, 2003 10:13 am
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here's an idea..... everyone go thru their "stuff" and weed out that which we can no longer use/ no longer want. we'll designate one night for everyone to bring it to class. we will have a swap party. if you find something someone else can't use but you can then it will be recycled. what is left over i will volunteer to take to burke united christian ministries which has a habitat for humanity store, a clothing cupboard and a food pantry.

what do you think?

rsvp


Fri Mar 28, 2003 10:32 am
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The idea of living in pioneer times would be wonderful for my husband. He is a scoutmaster and loves to camp and has done a good portion of the Appalachian Trail. He has completed Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose and now wants to do the same trail that Lewis and Clark followed. Kelly, that sounds like such an interesting episode. I would like to know if they enjoyed it.

Kim


Fri Mar 28, 2003 4:46 pm
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Airlie, You just might have an interesting idea there.

Since we are all so busy this time of year we could maybe do just our food pantries one week...then do our shoes and pocketbooks another week, then some other catagory another week. By the time we finished, we would be all cleaned out and it wouldn't take an entire weekend to prepare.

Except for those who decide to bring home more than they brought in--ha ha!

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Fri Mar 28, 2003 9:20 pm
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amanda, i like the idea of week by week topics. let's start next week with food as you suggested.( we did this at my school and we filled a hallway with food)

anyone who wants to become a" leaver " next week may leave any food items they feel are extra in their house and i will deliver them to the local food pantry.

even as a token gesture to looking at our lives in a different perspective, i think taking some action after all our philosophical talk will be therapeutic for us.

So, OPEN INVITATION TO ALL OF US IN 5840 TO MAKE A GESTURE. PLEASE DIG INTO YOUR KITCHEN PANTRY AND FIND SOME ITEM YOU CAN PART WITH.

RESPONSES?


Fri Mar 28, 2003 11:09 pm
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Since I usually eat at my neighbor's house (or Amanda's when she is feeling frisky), I don't have any food in the cupboards :? ....just kidding...I will bring something. And I will try to find something that has a good expitation date on it :wink: ....just kidding. This sounds like a neat idea.

Randy 8)


Sat Mar 29, 2003 12:34 am
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Great idea! I needed some motivation to start purging.

I think most people that retire stop wanting to be takers and want the simple life of leavers. Some will sell everything and live on a boat or a little cottage by the ocean or in the mountains or an RV. They'll have time to start gardening, traveling, volunteering and doing things they never had time for because they had to make money to keep up with the takers. I know I'm looking forward to it.


Sat Mar 29, 2003 8:20 am
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Kelly, There was also an episode where two families left everything behind and went to live in the woods "Little House on the Prarie" style. Did anyone see that, I missed it but it looked interesting. I have heard of people who have made drastic life changes and went to live a more serene lifestyle.


Sat Mar 29, 2003 5:39 pm
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i am not certain which of the shows i saw but it tracked the people after their experience of living like pioneers. their responses were... our houses are too big, it is so lonely having everyone have their own room, we miss our kids,our houses are so cold and remote, the hobbies we have are stupid, it was so much better when we had to create our family fun together etc. one family sold their huge california mansion and moved to a smaller house. one couple nearly divorced because when they actually had to spend time together 24-7 they found how incompatible they were!
most people said it was back breaking, hard, cold(!) difficult beyond what they thought but, definitely worth it. their lives were changed permanently.


Sun Mar 30, 2003 2:29 pm
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Airlie, I like your idea. I'll bring something next week. I have really come to enjoy purging my closets, drawers, etc. of things I don't use or need anymore. I feel like I am clearing my mind as well as my storage spaces when I purge. I moved last summer and it was really great to have the opportunity to go through some of the boxes of things I had collected over the years and get rid of them instead of dragging them along with me. My husband and I had filled up two utility buildings with "stuff." As I was cleaning out the buildings before I moved, I kept asking myself why we were keeping all these things. Most of them didn't have any sentimental value and I didn't even remember half of the things we had stored away "in case we need them later." I have also been trying really hard not to buy more "stuff". I have always been really bad about going into places like Dollar General and buying odds and ends just because I think they are cute. Now I try to buy only things that will serve some purpose because my house is filled with too many cute do- dads, although I have gotten rid of quite a few of them. Our ESL tutor is going to Ecuador in June. She wants the staff at our school to go through our closets to find some clothes she can take for the people there. That gives me another good opportunity to purge. :)


Sun Mar 30, 2003 10:14 pm
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