TheArtofLivingSimply
理查德·沃克爾默/RichardWolkomir
WepaddleddownMaine』sSacoRiverthatSeptemberafternoon,fivecouplesincanoes,baskinginthesummer』slastgoldensunlight.Grazingdeer,flutteringtheirwhitetails,watchedourflotillapass.Thateveningwepitchedtents,broiledsteaksandsprawledaroundthecampfire,staringsleepilyatthestars.Oneman,strumminghisguitar,sanganoldShakersong:「Tisthegifttobesimple.Tisthegifttobefree.」
Ouridyllended,ofcourse,andwedrovebacktotheworldofloanpayments,jobsandcloggedwashingmachines.「Tisthegifttobesimple,」Ifoundmyselfhummingatoddmoments,「Tisthegifttobefree.」HowIlongedforthatsimplicity.ButwherecouldIfindit?
「Ourlifeisfritteredawaybydetail.Simplify,simplify.」ThatdictumofHenryDavidThoreau』s,echoingfromthedaysofsteamboatsandox-drawnplows,hadlonghuntedme.YetThoreauhimselfwasabletospendonlytwoyearsinthecabinhebuiltbesideWaldenPond.AndHenry—wifeless,childless,jobless—neverhadtotusslewithsuchdetailsasvariable-ratemortgages.
Mylifeattracteddetail,asifmymottowere:「Complicate,complicate.」AndI』vefoundI』mnotalone.Butonedaymythinkingaboutsimplicityturnedupsidedown.
IwasvisitingaphysicistinhisofficetowerjuttingfromhisIllinoisfarmlands.Welookedthroughhiswindowatthelaboratory』smiles—aroundparticleaccelerator,animmensecircleintheprairiefarbelow.「It』sakindoftimemachine,」hesaid,explainingthattheacceleratorenablesphysiciststostudyconditionslikethoseshortlyafterCreation』sfirstmoment.Theuniversewassimplerthen,henoted,ameredotcomprisingperhapsonlyonekindofforceandonekindofparticle.Nowithasmanykindsofforces,scoresofdifferentparticles,andcontainseverythingfromstarsandgalaxiestodandelions,elephantsandthepoemsofKeats.
Complexity,Ibegantoseefromthattower,ispartofGod』splan.
Deepdown,wesensethatwespeak,disparagingly,ofa「simpleton」.Nobodywantstobeguiltyof「simplistic」thinking.
Butblindingourselvestocomplexitycanbedangerous.OnceIboughtahome.IlikeditssettingsomuchIunconsciouslyavoidedprobingintoitspossibledefects.Afteritwasmine,Ifounditneededinsulation,roofing,anewheatingsystem,newwindows,anewsepticsystem—everything.Thatoldhousebecameanalbatross,costingfarmorethanIcouldafford,thecostinstresswasevenhigher,Ihadrefusedtolookatthecomplexities.
Evenordinaryfinancesarerarelysimple—whatdoesyourinsurancepolicyactuallycover?Yet,economicsaresimplicityitselfcomparedwithmoralquestions.
OneafternoonwhenIwasten,Ifoundmyselftheleaderofanafter-schoolgaggleofboys.Ihadtodivertthemquickly,Iknew,ormycareerasleaderwouldbebrief.AndthenIsawJoe.
JoewasanEiffelTowerofakid,anincipientgiant.HisfamilyhademigratedfromEurope,andhehadafaintaccent.
「Let』sgethim!」Isaid.
MylittletroopofGothsswarmeduponJoe.Somebodysnatchedhishatandweplayedcatchwithit.Joeranhome,andItookhishatasatrophy.
Thatnight,ourdoorbellrang.Joe』sfather,aworried-lookingfarmerwithathickaccent,askedforJoe』shat.Ireturneditsheepishly.「Pleasedon』tupsetJoe,」hesaidearnestly.「Hehasasthma.Whenhehasanattack,itishardforhimtogetbetter.」
Ifeltaleadsoftballinmychest.ThenexteveningIwalkedtoJoe』shouse.Hewasinthegarden,tillingthesoil,hewatchedmewarilyasIwalkedup.IaskedifIcouldhelp.「Okay,」hesaid.AfterthatIwentoftentohelphimandwebecamebestfriends.
Ihadtakenasteptowardadulthood.InsidemyselfIhadseenpossibilities,likeatangleofwires.Thisredwirewasthepossibilityforevil,whichrequiresnomorethanignoringanother』spain.Andherewasthewhitewireofsympathy.Icouldhaveahandinconnectingallthosewires—itwasamatterofthedecisionsImade.Ihaddiscoveredcomplexity,andfoundinitanopportunitytochoose,togrow.Itspriceisresponsibility.