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第11章 简单生活The Art of Living Simply2（第1页）

第11章简单生活TheArtofLivingSimply（2）

Theuniverselertheed，ameredperhapsonlyonekindofforekindofpartiowithasmanykindsofforces，scoresofdifferentpartidseverythingfralaxiestodasandthepoemsofKeats。plexity，Ibegahattower，ispartofGod’splan。Deepdowaragingly，ofa“simpleton”。Nobodywayof“simplistig。Butblindioplexitygerous。Oahome。Ilikeditssettingsomusciouslyavintoitspossibledefects。Afteritwasmine，Ifounditi，aingsystem，nesepticsystem—everything。Thatoldhousebealbatross，gfarmorethanIcouldafford;thestresswasevenhigher。Ihadrefusedtolookattheplexities。Evenordinaryfinancesarerarelysimple—whatdoesyourinsurancepolicyactuallycover?Yet，eicsaresimplicityitselfparedwithmoralquestioeren，Ifouheleaderofanafter-schoolgaggleofboys。Ihadtodivertthemquiew，ormycareerasleaderwouldbebrief。AndthenIsawJoe。Joewasaowerofakid，a。HisfamilyhademigratedfromEurope，andhehadafai’sgethim!”Isaid。

MylittletroopofGothssochedhishatandweplayedcatchwithit。Joeraookhishatasatrophy。Thatnight，。Joe’sfather，aworried-lookihathit，askedforJoe’shat。Iretursheepishly。“PleasedoJoe，”hesaidearhma。Whenhehasanattack，itishardfetbetter。”IfeltaleadsoftballiheevenioJoe’shouse。Hewasiillingthesoil;hewatchedmewarilyasI。IaskedifIcouldhelp。“Okay，”hesaid。AfterthatIweohelphimafriends。Ihadtakeowardadulthood。InsidemyselfIhadseenpossibilities，likeatangleofwires。Thisredossibilityforevil，whichrequireshanignanother’spaihewhitewireofsympathy。Icouldhaveahandiingallthosewires—itwasamatterofthedeade。Ihaddisplexity，andfoundinitanopportunitytochoose，togrow。Itspriceisresponsibility。Perhaps，thatisonereasonwhyweyearnforthesimplelife。Iobe，toletsomeoheaackofresponsibility。Wearelikewheat，hereooripeellectuallybylettinginasmuchoftheuniverse’splexityaswe。Morallyweripenbymakingourdweripenspirituallybyopeo’seail。

&ernoonIpickedupafallehesugarmapleinouryard。Upcloseitithsplashesofred。Atarm’slengthitwase。ItscolordependedonhowIlookedatit。Ikleabouthoentitslife，transfsunlightanddioxideis，aweaoxygenthatsutsemit，whiletheythriveuponthedioxideweexhale。AeachcelloftheleafhasaainingachemiA—uponwhiscribedalltheinstruakiingasugarmaple。Stistsknowfarmoreaboutthisthaheirkendsonlyashortwayintotheseaofplexitythatisasugarmaple。I’mbeginniand，Ithink，lis。Itdoesnotmeanblindiheworld’sstunniythechoicesthatripenus。By“simplify，simplify。”

&simplifyioaplishthis，we:Fodeeperthings。Thesimplelifeisnotnecessarilylivingina，gbeans。Itisrefusiourlivesbe“fritteredawaybydetail”。Aprhtmeasecretf:TurVabooks。Theyopendoorsinyourbraiakelife’sjouratime。Ioayouhbliheyhadathree-year-olddaughterandaninfant，bothfullysighted。Forthoseparehinglex:bathingthebaby，mtheirdaughter，mowi，theywerefullofsmilesandlaughters。Iaskedthemotherhowshekepttrackoftheirlivelydaughter。“Itielittlebellsonhershoes，”shesaidwithalaugh。“Whatwillyoudowhewalkstoo?”Iasked。Shesmiled。“EverythingissoplicatedthatIdon’ttrytosolveaproblemuntilIhaveto。Itakeoatime!”ParedownylishandplaywrightJeromeKlapkacaughtthespiritofthatenterprisewheyourboatoflifebelight，palywithwhatyouneed—ahomelyhomeandsimplepleasures，owofriends，worththeoloveaoloveyou，acat，adogaoo，eaowearandalittlemorethaodrink，forthirstisadahing。”NotlongagoIflewhometoseemyfatherinhospital。Hehasadiseasethathemind。

Iwasasnarlofworries。Treatments?Nursinghomes?Finances?Hewascrouawheelchair，ashriveled，whiteofthefatherIhadknown。AsIstoodthere，hurtandfused，helookedupahenIsawsomethiedandwonderfulinhiseyes:reawelledupandfilledhiseyeswithtears。Aernoon，myfathercamebawhereverhisillakenhim。Hejokedandlaughed，ohemanIhadknown。Aired，ahimtobed。Theday，hedidnotrememberIhade。Andthe

&hedied。Everydeathisadoiohedooropens，butweseeohatawfulmoment，werealizehowvasttheuniverseis，plexityupoy，beyondus。Butthatisthetruegiftofsimplicity:toaccepttheworld’sinfinitepli，toacceptbewilderment。Andthen，especially，lethings。Afacewelove，perhaps，eyesbrimmingwithlove。Itisthesimplestofthings。Butitismorethanenough。