Already Simple

I went for a long run through the silent streets of my neighborhood this morning, and as usual, I got to thinking.  My daily exercise time has long been my best thinking-time. Some people think in the shower or while they commute; I associate inspiration with a certain shortness of breath.  

Normally, I use the time that I am running or swimming to think about things I can improve, things that need my attention, things that must get done.  I consider the latest problem with my dissertation, or my to-do list for the day, or, lately, increasingly, the difficulties posed by a messy house and a messier bank account and my journey towards simplicity.

As I ran through the streets this morning I also got to thinking of my latest victories in these areas:  the establishment of a budget, swearing off credit, and, most recently, the office.  I remember the empty surfaces all over this room and just feel relief at the prospect of a place to set my coffee cup down.  I smile secretly at the notion that grocery money is not an issue, seeing as it has already been set aside for the entire month. Such small comforts bring tremendous peace of mind. 

And so I began cataloguing, instead of the number of chapters I need to write and arguments I need to refine, or the things that need fixing around the house or the various homeless objects in the breakfast room, the things that are really, actually, in excellent order:  I love my husband.  We have a safe and nice place to live.  We have jobs and stimulating tasks to devote our energy to each day.  My friends are dear to me and my family is in good health.  I make a killer pan of lasagna.  The list went on and on, and is certainly longer than the list of unread books which is also rattling around somewhere in the back of my mind.  

I realized that in all honesty, the most complicated areas of my life are pretty straightforward.  They don't need simplifying.  We may have, at some point, decided that being in love was an excellent reason to max out our credit cards and for me to put my dissertation on the back burner, but it has since come to light that perhaps that wasn't the best idea we'd ever had, and we're fixing it up. 

Sometimes, the task of simplifying certain messes seems herculean.  When it does, it is probably worthwhile to take stock of the things that could be so very much more complicated than they actually are.  Such moments of gratitude allow us to put things into perspective, and carry quietly on, feet pounding the pavement towards home.