Finding a manageable path

Life should just be manageable shouldn't it?

I mean, the reason why there's so much stress, depression, mental breakdowns etc is essentially because life has become unmanageable. Whether it be your crappy soul destroying job, rising prices of everything except your own pay, illness of a family member, earthquakes or typhoons... there are heaps of things that can cause life to become unmanageable.

But basically, there are things that are in your control and things that aren't.

What's happening in today's world where Corporations (I use a upper case C because they are now more powerful than any one person or even God) run everything, have influence over everything like world policies, how much things costs (including our very basics like water, food, and of course property), how much we earn. Things have become too big, too unmanageable for little people to figure out what the hell has gone wrong. Issues have become so intertwined – politics, climate change, the banking mess. It's pretty hard for any one individual to know how to get out of this huge global mess we're in. Unmanageable.

Therefore, what we're probably trying to do is try our best to see k a more manageable life. Smaller scale stuff you know. In the words of Robert Dunn (our mushroom wwoof host) – 'Aspiring peasants'. I like that very much. But empowered peasants.

I probably will be looked down upon in Singapore if I decided to give up my career and become a housewife. its seen as a waste in a university education. But education shouldn't just be about getting a good paying white collared job. It's also very much about growing one's own ability to think and be critical and make choices in life that suits you best, finding your own voice and discovering what you believe and stand for in life. And there's so much joy, I've discovered in the simplest, manageable things in life. The freshness and smell of just-washed clothes. Baking muffins. Going for walks. Lying in bed in our caravan with your loved one. Making things with your hands. A warm fire. Writing. I would be content in my life if I earned a living doing manageable, enjoyable things and have extra time to pursue other interests like books, maps, travel, films, world injustice and equiping myself intellectually to make right choices for me and my family.

You must check out this book – Life Inc , I mentioned it in one of my earlier entries, but it's one of those light-bulb moment books. Read it! Or watch the streaming movie on the website.

Eric - our first scottish friend, said about us in the first hour of chatting - that Bjorn and I are Pathfinders (very world of warcraft i know!). Ones who always try and seek out their own paths and unwilling to comply with mediocrity. Lucky ones we are as well, as we are finding our own manageable paths right now, together. And having the opportunity, wwoofing now, to do so.

Its way more common for people in western europe and america to take a year's break from study and work to travel. And for people to live 'alternative' lives like having part time jobs instead of fulltime. Live in mobile homes across the country, moving when a place gets old and unexciting. Affluence in a society brings about choice and diversity. And is Singapore there yet? I believe we are economically, but our asian values and PAP-work-till-you-drop-so-you-can-get-your-5Cs brain washing makes it hard for people to do anything other than what Singapore has to offer. Which is to shop, eat, work, watch tv, party, get hdb flat, 2 kids, frequent short flights to bangkok, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, die. Wherears a care-free, simple life is deemed a wasteful, ungrateful and meaningless life...?! Do we need to become another Japan and wait for suicide rates to soar before we get people taking a break from life and doing stuff they actually want to?

What I'm saying, is that if there is a real real reason to be miserable and live a life you dont like (like u need to stay in a place to look after an ailing parent), then too bad, we feel sorry for you and you're doing the best you can yeah. BUT if you actually can control your life, but still not go for it and instead, blow loads of cash & go into debt for stuff like a car, plasma screens or that LV bags, then I say - Screw you. Dont say you're envious of what we are doing coz we dont need envy that isnt deserved.