Simply Complex

Only recently--that would be within the past 30 minutes--have I realized how much I love complexity despite my desire for simplicity.  It struck me as I stalled on an opening for a chapter I am writing on the latter.  Boy, does that drip with irony!  I believe that simplicity is a virtue: things neatly put away, owning only what I need, doing things mindfully.  It is refreshing to go through my day fully present, which also means I'm available to others in more civil ways.

But then I look at my interests.  They are anything but simple.  I much prefer Mahler over Hayden because his music is quirky.  I'll take Indian food with its rich mixture of spices over a burger and fries any day.  Rather than formulaic romance novels, I prefer reading adventures in science and philosophy.  Then there's how I make decisions.  Thoughts ricochet between my right and left brains.  How does this feel vs is this logical? Clearly this is a case of too much information.

More important is what does simplicity mean for others?  Is there a universal meaning for that word? We all know people who stock up because they want to live with more economic simplicity.  We can make our lives complicated trying to achieve temporal simplicity (this is why I say multitasking is not a virtue).  We may want to be environmentally simple, but when shopping, do we buy the cage free eggs in the plastic carton or the organic eggs in the cardboard carton?  Suddenly, simplicity is not so simple!

Maybe it comes down to this:  Simplicity is sanity.  If we can do what we need to do, be as we need to be, use our time, energy, and money in ways that satisfy our values at a particular moment, maybe this is as simple as it gets.  And what are our values?  Money in the bank?  Community activism?  Caring for loved ones?  When we clear out the superfluous--and your definition of that will be different from mine--our values direct our lives.  We have a plainer path to walk upon.  If we pursue the complex--determining the best medical procedure for an illness, writing a play, crafting an economic policy--we do so with more sanity when we cut a swath through our mental space at least.  Complexity is wonderful sometimes.  But we need openness for the elements to float through, connect, disengage, reassemble until the right combination of knowledge, inspiration, and actions reveals itself in a perfect whole.  When I clear my mind of fears and distractions, I function much better in the world.  When my values are reflected in my outer world, I feel congruent. And now I just had a brain storm.  Excuse me while I tap out the next chapter of my book.  Thanks for listening to me.  It helped a lot!

Pax tecum.