I have always believed in the phrase "History never ceases to repeat itself", or "History repeats itself"; and an alteration of the phrase has become somewhat of my "trademark phrase", if you will. I give it here: 'They say "history repeats itself"; I am here to make sure that happens.'
No one can deny that they have, at least once in their life, wondered or thought about what purpose they may serve in this world before they pass on to the afterlife (or simply pass on, for those whom may not be religious or may not believe in an afterlife). I have come to the conclusion that my purpose here, before I pass on to wait for my reincarnation, is to bring back, what I call, the "simple life"; the life without electricity and mass pollution and deforestation and expansion and progress for the sake of progress. These things, as they are, disgust me. Utterly. What can I do with one single fireplace? I can heat, burn, create, cook, and light. Each of these tasks takes one electrical mechanism, and sometimes more than that, not only creating more pollution, but also costing such vast amounts of money that I have deemed them simply superfluous. Society has grown lazy and fat, the cause of which, in my opinion, is the materialism people seem to think they need, i.e., automobiles, light bulbs, televisions, computers, cellular phones, land-line phones, electronic toys, tablets, eBooks, the internet...and the list goes on.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "But you're using a computer and electricity and the internet right now!" And, yes, as a matter of fact I am. I cannot deny that I, too, have grown up Modernized. I have a cellular phone, a laptop, a television, and I cannot deny that I do love to watch my shows on cable. I have also enjoyed the luxury of mp3 players, mp4 players, CD players and automobiles (although I really don't have any interest in learning to drive, I can and do admire the craftsmanship and good-looks of a well-made and well-designed car). And yet, these are still the things that are contributing to procrastination and the "epidemic" of obesity, as well as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder (ADHD), and other attention disorders plaguing today's youths.
It has been quite a long time since I have seen anyone pick up an actual, physical book just for leisurely reading. For school and academics, yes, because they are told to do so by their instructors. And then, there are still those few whom refuse to do so, for the simple act of rebellion, the "problem with authority" "epidemic" (as I see it).
Modernization has even seeped its ugly way into our children's schools in the worst way: many schools across the United States of America (USA) are doing away with recess and outdoor playtime. It isn't even an option in many middle schools and every high school. No one walks anywhere anymore, unless it be to the neighbour's house. I feel Americans should take a look at their European cousins, utilising bicycles and their own two legs as modes of transportation. Now, yes, Europeans own cars, create cars, design and sell cars, many of which are automobiles of choice in the USA, but (and this is my own guesstimate) 85% of Europeans either ride bicycles (which take muscle power, not gasoline or electricity or anything else that causes mass-pollution) or they walk to their destinations. True, many places of importance, such as the baker, market, and other stores used on a daily or weekly basis are within a short distance from their homes or places of business, and many may use that as an excuse. But it will be just that, an excuse. We, and I am including myself in this, have become lazy, lethargic, gluttonous, materialistic; we are doing nothing but breeding more consumers for the mass-market world which promotes progress for the sake of progress, and I can honestly say that the phrase "it utterly disgusts me" is putting it far too lightly.
Remember all those tasks I could accomplish with a single fireplace? I shall elaborate on those, now, in the order I mentioned them previously.
1. Heat: - With a fireplace, or even just with (controlled) fire, I can heat a room, a home, water for cooking or a bath, and even food. To heat a room or an entire home with electricity I would require a central heating system or several "space heaters"; to heat water for cooking I would need a stove; to heat water for a bath or shower I would need a water heater, and to heat or reheat food I would need a stove and/or an oven and/or a microwave. All of these things are convenient, but they come at a great price, not only to our wallets but to our environments and our health. Microwaves put radiation (microwaves, hence the appliance's name) into our food in order to heat or reheat it, which can cause cancer. I find these things superfluous and less convenient than a fireplace. I can also heat wax to create candles, which promotes a type of recycling I don't think many people in today's day and age think of: taking the remaining wax of a candle, if any, and creating a new candle instead of going out and buying new candles like our "Consumer Brains" tell us to.
2: Burn - With a fireplace or a (controlled) fire, I can burn wood, paper, most rubbish (and all waste used in "simple living") if I didn't want to use it as compost or scraps for animal food.
3: Create - This tasks description can be a bit redundant insofar as that I can create candles from old ones or just from wax blocks melted down. I can also create many things out of various metals with the proper tools and knowledge; i.e., nails, horse shoes, screws, weapons, spoons, knives, et cetera.
4: Cook - This tasks description can also be a bit redundant: I can cook (and even bake) just about any food I'd need or want to; and even fry and (obviously) grill.
5: Light - I can light a room with torches, candles, a fireplace. End of story.
These are my 'Justifications', for lack of a better term. Take them or leave them; this is how they are.
