The 100 thing challenge

I've been thinking a great deal today about my most recent post, "traveling light" and what, in effect, it should mean to me as the writer and perhaps even to you as the reader.  One of my bucket list goals for 2012 is going to be "learning to travel light" and with that in mind, I'm going to have to decide for myself what is most important for me in this life. 


 Of particular interest to me will be some decision making as to what material things are most important and which ones can I surely live without.  I live in a house that has a lot of "stuff" within it and I'm going to try decide what from that proverbial pile of "stuff" I really don't need.  Whether it will be an easy task remains to be seen.  But I'm kind of anxious to get started on this "travelling light" idea so I am willing to give it a try.


Friends, I have a question for you because I'm just curious.  Have any of you ever heard of "The 100 Thing Challenge"?  I had not until this summer when my daughter Ursela and I were talking about it.  Because she already likes living "minimally", Ursela had gone online and done some research on the subject.  While pouring over the different sites on the internet, she came across a very unique and novel approach to the downsizing movement. It's referred to as "The 100 Thing Challenge.  


This "challenge" is the brainchild of a man named Dave Bruno.  In its simplest form, (and hey given the challenge's main purpose, simple is the operative word here,) "The 100 Thing Challenge" inspires people to unbury themselves from the many things that they own that for all intents and purposes have no useful meaning or purpose.  And to all of the English majors out there, my apologies for such a very, very long sentence.



I'll probably speak more of this idea in future blogs, but if you are interested in learning a little bit more about this "novel" approach to paring things down, just check out Dave's blog page at
www.guynameddave.com.  It's actually pretty interesting once you start to read about his ideas.  The site's motto-Reduce (get rid of stuff you don't need), Refuse (don't go out and buy a bunch of new stuff to replace what you just got rid of), and Rejigger (figure out what is most important to you) gets you started down the road to a new way of thinking.  The final end product should be the 100 most important things for you to keep.


As a 56-year old woman, I've had a lifetime to accumulate a whole lot of things.  I'm at the point in life where, in possibly 20 years or so, I may be facing entering an assisted living facility or long term nursing care.  It's not a fun prospect to think of but one I may inevitably have to face in the future.  So the way I look at it is this--Either my 3 kids can have the responsibility of going through my things and  dividing up and figuring out what's important when "mom" enters a care facility or I can do so myself, right now, while I still have the chance to lighten the load and enable myself to do some of the fun things that I want to in life.  At this point in time, I'm kind of opting for that one involving ME doing it instead of the kids.


Friends, it's the "teacher" in me coming out now so sorry-but I have a homework assignment for you to do.  Between now and this coming weekend, I'd like you to think about 10 things that you have right now that you'd be willing to part company with and not replace with new ones.  Only 10 things now, not 100, ok?  The wonderful thing about THIS kind of homework is there is no grade taken, in fact no one even sees your answers.  And those answers?...well, they are neither right or wrong because you are the only one who can determine them.  I'll be checking back, come this weekend, so don't be putting off thinking about it.  I promise to do the same here and let you know what I came up with.  


I had a great-grandmother, Christina (Billhardt) Schilling, who came to America as a young 17-year old girl from Bremerhaven, Germany.  It was in the mid-1880's and passage to the New World was by boat, and a slow one at that.  Once, when I was at my grandmother's house, I saw her trunk in the basement.  I was always amazed when my Grandmother Brown told me about how her mother (Christina) packed everything she owned into that one trunk and started out for life in a new country.  As a little eight-year old kid, I loved to hear that story.  As her 56-year old great-granddaughter, I stand in awe of the memory of a woman who long ago knew the importance of and practiced the idea of "travelling light".  When I finish growing up, I hope I am just like you, Christina Schilling.  And my friends, that's one lifetime goal that I believe is worth striving for!  Have a good evening all of you. 

  Our "German" grandmother, Christina Billhardt Schilling, on the farm near Halstead, KS.