how we complicate our lives

I have been thinking lately about how most of us modern-day, average American families, tend really complicate our lives and make them much more hectic and busy than need to be. I know we don't mean to complicate our lives: we are just living the typical modern-day American life. It just seems normal to us. But our lives our certainly more busy, and hectic than a lot of other cultures are.

Of course don't me wrong i really like all my modern appliances, conveniences, and vehicles that make life easier, but along with it comes so much more that really makes our lives busier in the long run i think.

I have been thinking about the time my family and I lived in Belize for 3 years, between 1994- 1997.

Life was very different there. There is many different cultures there so there's different live styles, from old order Mennonites with no electricity and horse and buggy, to modern Mennonites with electricity, vehicles and big equipment, and then the Belizens them selves which consist of Mayans, Creoles, and other various cultures.

We lived among the older order Mennonites, so of course their life style was very simple ( no phone or power bills for one thing)



But i am going to take a look in at just the average common Belize home and live style and compare that to ours here in North America.


Most houses are relatively small with just a few rooms: therefore cleaning and up keep is so much easier. And you have to have less because of less space!


Furniture is spares also, making easier clean-up. Hammocks on the other hand on a plenty in the homes!


Things in general is quite minimum: so reducing much clutter. And less to tend and keep up with.


Toys are fairly few: so again reduces clutter and things under foot.


Clothes are a few changes for each family member ( this may differ from home to home though): making wash days in the creek or in the laundry tub easier. Uniforms are worn to school.


Vehicles are not owned by every family, and those that do certainly don't have two. ( gas is way to expensive for that) So that means when hubby is off to work, the dear mom is not having to run the roads doing errands or bringing kids to this or that! ( the main means of transportation is walking and bus) So of course moms living in the communities and towns can walk and do their shopping and stuff.


Birthdays ( now i do not know much of how birthdays are celebrated there) but it appears though a party may be thrown, there is not a lot of "things" given to the birthday child: again reducing clutter under foot and things piling up in the house.


Christmas is again not celebrated with a lot of gifts like here, so again less things in the homes! ( of course i suppose that differs from family to family though)


Baby accessories like baby swings, walkers, and all the other "must have" baby items here in America are not that common in most homes. Who needs all that when you have a hammock! ( again less stuff!)

Modern Appliances and conveniences are fewer as well. ( though that to differs from home to home) But hand crank corn grinders for making corn tortillas are very common!

Ok, now back to North America!

You can see our things we have and our way of life is very different. We may have all the handy things and conviences that is suppose to make life easier, but we also got all things that make our lifes more busy, cracy, and stressful and so on.
So how can we here in America make our lives less complicted?
Hmmm, good question?
I think i will save that for next post!
In the mean time i would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this subject.

In Him,
Mae