Finding Ourselves in The Great American West (Broke and Homeless!)

"The old wage-slave mentality of renting ourselves to our jobs for eight hours a day to cover the essentials of life is giving way to the awareness that work is an integral part of our lives. Therefore the quality of our lives and the quality of our work-time are one in the same." -Michael Phillips

I instantly regarded the above quote, read late one night from one of the many new agey self help books that surround me like fortress of tranquilizing weird, as a message of approval from the spirit in the sky for my new life plan. I use the word plan without much regard for its meaning, for as I write this, the "plan" may or may not involve using the deposit money to procure a Vanagon with a working stove and drive it to destination TBD, and may or may not change with our next few gulps of beer. Three things are for certain: We have quit our jobs, our last day in the house is May 31st, and James has purchased a pound of beans and a pound of coffee to get us through the uncertain lean times ahead.

recommended reading: Chop Wood, Carry Water: A Guide to Finding Spiritual Fulfillment in Everday Life,

Where "Freedom" Means "Self Imprisonment" and "Total Enclosure"

My favorite misheard lyrics are from Madonna's Get Into The Groove. "Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free/ At night I lock the door where no one else can see," becomes, to me, "All I ever wanted was to feel this free/At night, I lock the door and throw away the key."