“Know When To Hold ‘Em, Know When To Fold ‘Em”
Religious leader Dieter Uchtdorf tells the story about a man who at last achieved his lifelong dream of taking a cruise. He was able to see the streets of Rome and other famous places he had dreamed about. But the man, being a penny-pincher, missed out on a lot: he packed all his own food for the trip; mostly crackers and canned beans. Near the end of the trip he discovered that all the delicious food, fun activities, and exciting parties were included in his ticket price: he was living beneath his privileges.
Usually I shy away from the word “privileges.” I feel that we need to earn most of our way in life, we’re not “privileged” to very much. But I have recently learned that there is a line.
Around the first of the year I woke up one morning and thought: “There are propane stoves in the world that run without electricity. There must be, because some Amish people use them!”
I began researching, and to my surprise, I was right. (Spencer already knew this and claims that I had just said, ‘yeah, whatever,’ when he mentioned them at the beginning of our journey, I, of course, have no memory of that!). There are liquid propane, battery ignition stoves that run without electricity. Off-grid stoves!
Behold, we were living beneath our privileges!
Now, lest you think we must be blind or dumb, let me explain that we have chosen to ‘live the hard way’ on purpose. Partly for the experience, partly to learn first hand how things were done ‘back then’ (or in 3rd world countries), and partly because we’re choosing, on purpose, to exchange time for money and spend more time doing what we could pay money to have done more easily. But we had come to what Spencer calls a pain point, and enough was enough.
We decided to order a stove. After a shipping debacle, we drove to Lewiston to an amazing little store called Camp, Cabin, and Home and bought a beautiful, looks like normal people’s, kitchen range.
It has a battery ignition. It runs on liquid propane. It has four burners, an oven(!!!!), and a broiler drawer (some swank!), and it has changed my life!
For one thing, I cook inside now, not outside on a two burner, energy inefficient camp stove. For a more important thing, I can bake. Easily!!! With the flip of a switch! Hello, bread, baked oatmeal, and brownies!
For another important thing, I have learned where I am willing to yield. Where I am okay enjoying some of the comforts of life; how to decide what in my life is a foolish and which a good sacrifice.
Using the camp stove wasn’t wrong. I am still proud of my cob oven and will use it in the summer. But I am also (Spencer says ‘at last, thank God.’) willing to use some of the privileges of the modern life we live in–like an off grid propane stove. And off grid propane fridge, come spring.
Yes, I’m crazy. But I am also still working out, like many other people, just how I want to spend my time and how I want to spend my money. Where hard is good and where easy is okay. As Willie Nelson immortalized, to know “When to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, when to walk away, and when to run.”
P.S. that poor little pig won’t ever get around to plastering. Thanks to a stray spark, not the big bad wolf, there isn’t anything left to plaster. Oh, well. There is more than one old fashioned building technique....
