This is definitely not a response I was expecting, but it's a really good, thought-provoking one. Thanks for that.
I have no doubt I'm grossly underestimating things, but I do think your ideas fit the definition of "simplicity" as I intended--simple being the opposite of complex, rather than easy or effortless.
I find all of the ancillary functions we're forced to perform as part of modern life to be very complex and highly distracting. On any given day I might have to file a tax return, pay a phone bill, argue with a doctor's office over a bill I paid 18 months ago, have my car break down, deal with credit card fraud, receive a dozen spam calls, research and select a new insurance plan, find a new dentist, etc, etc.
I actively take steps to reduce these distractions, but many are pervasive and effectively required. I long for the opportunity to be bored. As another comment said, this is part of what I love about backpacking: it affords the change to be bored with my own thoughts.
And I'm back to romanticizing the ability to focus on a single, simple goal: survive to the next season, with all the uncertainty that brings and mental fortitude it demands.
I have no doubt I'm grossly underestimating things, but I do think your ideas fit the definition of "simplicity" as I intended--simple being the opposite of complex, rather than easy or effortless.
I find all of the ancillary functions we're forced to perform as part of modern life to be very complex and highly distracting. On any given day I might have to file a tax return, pay a phone bill, argue with a doctor's office over a bill I paid 18 months ago, have my car break down, deal with credit card fraud, receive a dozen spam calls, research and select a new insurance plan, find a new dentist, etc, etc.
I actively take steps to reduce these distractions, but many are pervasive and effectively required. I long for the opportunity to be bored. As another comment said, this is part of what I love about backpacking: it affords the change to be bored with my own thoughts.
And I'm back to romanticizing the ability to focus on a single, simple goal: survive to the next season, with all the uncertainty that brings and mental fortitude it demands.