We lead a pretty minimalist lifestyle. Which isn't all too surprising given that we live on a 34' sailboat, named Tickety Boo, which has >>less than 300 square feet of living space<<.
If you don't live on a sailboat or RV, then the thought of living in something that small might freak you out just a little bit. Maybe because it sounds horribly claustrophobic, or perhaps because the thought of sharing such a tiny space with your partner sounds like a recipe for disaster, or even because you can't imagine where you would put all of your stuff.
Fortunately, we don't have a lot of stuff. We got rid of most of it when we moved onto our first sailboat in New Zealand (she was even tinier - just 26'). Then we got rid of even more when we came back to the States and moved into our ridiculously small 13' travel trailer.
In comparison to our first boat and our camper, living on a 34' sailboat seems almost palatial. But it's still small and we still don't have room for a lot of stuff. And the stuff we do have is downright boring. Things to keep you safe, things to maintain and operate your boat, food to eat, clothes to wear etc. You know, stuff that's practical, but not stuff that you'd necessarily cherish.
I remember last year, when I first participated in the Cherished Blogfest, looking around our boat trying to find an object that I cherished. It took a while, but I finally settled on some toy polar bears my nieces gave me years ago.
This year, I thought, well there's no way I can participate, there's nothing else on my boat that I truly cherish. Then I had a brainwave - >>our computers<<. I can't imagine life without computers on board.
After a few minutes, I had second thoughts. The things that people were sharing during the blogfest were lovely things, things truly worthy of being cherished. Things like a daily devotional gifted by a friend who passed away, adorable guinea pigs, and Mother Earth herself.
A computer seemed so dull and insignificant in comparison. A hunk of metal, plastic and electronic bits. Blah. Totally unworthy.
Then I thought about it some more and realized that I'd always make room on our boat for our computers. And when space is as rare a commodity as it is on our boat, that's saying something.
After all, our computers allow us to connect with others through email, Facebook, forums and blogging. It's the tool I use to express my creativity through writing. It stores photographic memories of our families and our travels. It helps us with planning and record keeping. All in all, I think our computers have earned their place on board Tickety Boo as truly cherished items.
What items do you cherish in your life and why?
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Check out what other things people cherish at the Cherished Blogfest.
I cherish books. I just love them. My living room and basement look like a used book store. Meanwhile, your description of your life onboard brought back memories. When I was 14 I spent a summer with a friend and her family who lived year round on a 40-ft houseboat. It was amazing how compact everything was and how they were so happy with whatever they had that fit on board. It was a terrific summer, I have to add. I was left wanting for years to one day live on a boat. :-)
ReplyDeleteI miss having stacks and stacks of books. It was one of the things I had to give up. I do have a Kindle, but it's not quite the same.
DeleteI found you via the Cherished Blogfest linky thingie. I think it's reasonable to cherish your computer for the very reasons you mention. Sometimes the mere ordinariness of an item is what makes it the most likely to be cherished. Special things are great, but basic things keep us going.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the ordinariness of an item being one of the reasons it is cherished. Thanks for popping by :-)
DeleteIf I were in your situation, a computer would abso-doggone-lutely rate the "cherished item" title. Heck, I DON'T live in your situation, and I still don't know what I'd do without my computers. (Come to think of it, our kids probably wish we WERE living in your kinda situation... a simple existence without a whole bunch of baggage and "stuff." Lord, do we ever have "stuff." Our kids will probably burn our house die when we die rather than deal with it all.)
ReplyDeleteAs for my most cherished items? Maybe my old old photographs that once belonged to my grandmother. Although they're of distant ancestors I've never known, I feel a distinct attachment to their images. Those old sepia prints seem to "capture the moment" so much better than more modern means of photography.
Your grandma's old photos are a great pick. I love looking at old family photos too.
DeleteI'm sitting on my boat with my laptop right now. We'll be heading to San Francisco later today and I can't imagine being on our boat without my laptop.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
Boats and laptops seem to go well together :-)
DeleteGood point about computers ~ cherished might not be the best word ~ but they are valuable and in this day and age a definite asset ~
ReplyDeleteI cherish my health, doggie, house and car ~ being content with less stuff! ~ Maybe I should think about living on a sailboat or boat anyway ~ ^_^
Love and Light,
A ShutterBug Explores ~ aka ~ (A Creative Harbor)
It feels weird to use the word cherish for a computer, but it is one of my most important things.
DeleteI think you give very good reasons for cherishing your computers, and i’m sure you feel *exactly* the same when they are misbehaving. Only unworthy people like me threaten to throw them out of the window.....
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh, Anabel! There are definitely days when the computer is highly uncooperative and I don't feel like cherishing it much.
DeleteI totally understand that your computer is very important when living with little possessions. Cherished even.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely ranks right up there :-)
DeleteGood one, Ellen! I picked my diary for last year’s cherished object. My computer is high up there as well. I use it constantly and for many things in my life. It would be a tough toss-up between my camera and my computer if I would ever have to pick.
ReplyDeleteA camera is a good choice too. Without it, how would we document our crazy adventures?
DeleteEllen, all bloggers and many others cherish their computer, especially when it connects us to the rest of the world and provides an outlet for writing, photography, knowledge and keeping up with friends and family. This was a great choice for #CBF17, thanks for participating!
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by, Mary, It's a fun blog hop. Glad I participated this year.
DeleteThink about it this way - What do you put in your ditch bag? We put food, first aid supplies, vhf radios, flares, water, sun screen, rain coats, batteries, and our computer. A computer won't help us survive, but I just don't want to loose all the stuff it holds. It is kind of crazy to give so much weight to an electronic device, but honestly we wouldn't be sailing away without it.
ReplyDeleteGood way of looking at it. The computers would definitely get shoved into the ditch bag.
DeleteI agree that your computers have more than earned their rightful place on this Cherished Blogfest! Without them, we wouldn't be able to read your posts (among many other things)!
ReplyDeleteThat's true, we do need computers to read other people's blog posts. Yet another reason to cherish them :-)
DeleteI think when we make time and space for something it becomes something that matters, something that becomes cherished.
ReplyDeleteGood point - if we invest in something then, we'll more often than not, cherish it.
DeleteYou have no idea how timely this post is to me, Ellen! We have just sold our 100 year old, 5 bedroom farmhouse and in a few weeks time we'll be moving into a small flat... and eventually, a sailboat! Now's the time to cherish and not cherish the zillions of things that we have to sort through!
ReplyDeleteWow - this much be such a bittersweet time. Saying good bye to your lovely home, but the excitement of knowing that it's part of the journey to move onto a sailboat later.
DeleteI sometimes feel like my whole life is recorded in my laptop, ipad, and iphone. I would be lost without them, sad, but true.
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one who has their whole life wrapped up in their gadgets.
DeleteI cherish my cats. ~grin~ I know that's cheating. To be honest, though, without them I'd be happier downsizing. Unfortunately, my partner has way too much stuff I'm not allowed to toss. ~sigh~ I'm currently reading a book that reminds me of you. It's called "Love with a Chance of Drowning" about a woman who overcame her fear of the ocean to sale with the man she loves. She's an amusing writer like you, my dear. Be well!
ReplyDeleteComputers have become a part of our life these days. I cannot think of one day without my laptop because my personal and professional life is connected to it. Thank you for participating in the Cherished Blogfest 2017.
ReplyDelete