Prayers for People Under Pressure
David Galbraith has created an exciting new product, which aims to bridge the gap between blogging and bookmarking. The goal is to "evolve a tool for managing and syndicating image headlines". Anyway, to further develop Wists he's relocated from San Francisco to New York and in the process of moving, he's had to live light, which led him to note: "The curious thing is that it feels better to have a bag of clothes, a cellphone and a laptop and nothing else, which begs the question as to why I ever buy anything."
His comment on the advantages of decluttering reminded me of an interview with Jonathan Aitken in the February issue of Magill, Ireland's political and cultural monthly. Aitken, some of you may recall, was a Tory minister who told a foolish lie about a hotel bill, which led to him being imprisoned for committing perjury. The Guardian has the full story. While serving time in HMP Belmarsh, Aitkin reflected on life and came to a number of conclusions. Here's the money quote:
Magill: Your legal travails have cost you million of pounds. How have you coped with your new, reduced circumstances?Aitken: I was once the chairman of a London merchant bank. In prison I was a lavatory cleaner, earning £5.60 a week — with a bonus of £1 if I did a good job — which I learnt to budget down to the last 2p. My greatest luxuries were miniature pots of Marmite and packet soups from the canteen. But I can honestly say that having had both a luxury lifestyle and a frugal one. I am more content living frugally. I don't think possessions are important. I believe that travelling light is the happiest way for living. Despite all that has happened , I am personally and spiritually very happy. So life has not given me a bad deal."
Prayers for People Under Pressure by Jonathan Aitken is published by Continuum.
