10/9/2004 VS Chicago Meeting Notes

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"When I lost my job,
I discovered how ridiculous
we were living.
We now have a much more
enjoyable and better life."
-- (comment from meeting)
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Victoria, Gerry, Ross, Vicki, Bazil, William, Nancy, Joe, Linda, Mark, Sue, Jill, Cary and Mike, welcomed Laurie, Mark, Ganeta and Lee to their first meeting.

Mike opened the space with a round of introductions => your name, how long have you been attending, what brings you today... Comments included, "Sometimes swimming against the stream (main stream culture) is fun", "Coming here is like a refresher", "I get recharged", "It's great to be among like-minded folks", "Attended Margaret Wheatly's workshop last week - wanted to get together with people to share their values and make the world a better place - there's a intellectual and spiritual void where I live", "There is a whole flow to the way life works - it is so different than what we grow up to believe, what others tell us, the way of corporations. When you flow, there is serendipity, and life can be so much richer", "When you choose to live a simpler life, it's more like swimming with the stream - the stream of how life really works", "When I lost my job, I discovered how ridiculous we were living. We now have a much more enjoyable and better life on less."

The group then created the following list of discussion topics:

* Why should I try VS (Voluntary Simplicity)? (Lee)
* Introducing our family to VS (Lee)
* Kerry/Bush debates, election... does it rally effect us? (Ross)
* Colorblind - relationships within progressive groups (Bazil)
* Minimizing expenses & maximizing Income (William)
* What do you say to a group who have been out of work (Mike)
* What is the difference between Simplicity and Frugality (Victoria)
* Housing/real estate - investment, social considerations (Vicki)

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Introducing Mark Goebel, Crossroads Center Director...
We welcomed Mark to this month's meeting, and expressed our gratitude for the support the Crossroads Center has generously provided (the Crossroads Center has been home for VS Chicago meetings since 1998). Mark shared a brief history of the Crossroads Center, what the Crossroads Center is, and upcoming programs, talks, and workshops.

The Crossroads Center is an interfaith mission of Old Saint Patrick's Church. The Center is here for the worker. Work is important because without work, we wouldn't have opportunities for transformation. Work's contemporary meaning has been hijacked by images we see on TV (ie, shows like "The Apprentice") where the workplace is all about competition, rather then meaning.

The Center offers various programs throughout the year. The Fall 2004 Forum, consisting of three programs, is designed to help the young adult, those in their middle years, and folks in latter stages of their careers, find meaning in their work life. The Center also has a host of additional fall programs => go to www.crossroads-center.org for a complete listing and registration. The Spring 2005 Forum will offer four programs, Wisdom, Justice Prudence, and Fortitude, again with a focus on finding meaning in your work life. Other programs include an apprentice program that matches a mentor with a mentee, CARA (to help folks get ready for the workplace), and dialogue groups openly discuss issues in the workplace.

Donating cars? Any suggestions...
What can you do with a car you no longer need and/or what it to go where it can be best used? Many agencies accept cars as donations - the American Lung Association, Purple Hearts, and Free Cycle (www.freecycle.org and www.chicagofreecycle.org) are among the many. The CARA program at the Crossroads Center gladly accepts working automobiles - CARA helps folks find work and if they need a car, your donated auto will make it possible for them to there (call 312-831-9350).

Are there better sources for News...?
Mike suggested trying PBS' NOW Program with Bill Moyers. It's a one-hour program that airs at noon on Sundays, on Channel 11 (with a rebroadcast at 4:00am Monday mornings). Examples; Ross told of a recent NOW Program about the "Battle for Algiers" - the French struggle for Algiers in the early 1960's. The battle began going badly as underground insurgent activity was about to bring the war to a stalemate. But the French persevered. They decided it was victory at all costs and gradually began compromising their values on prisoner treatment and interrogation, and overall treatment of the local folks as combatants. They eventually won the war, but lost the support of the people. There were several eerie similarities to our current situation in Iraq. Most telling was that of a young French officer who fought in the war - he eventually went on to become the current French President (this is the same President who tried to warn the USA about a war with Iraq). The October 10, 2004 program, featured a debate among the other 2004 US Presidential Candidates (yep, there are four others - you wouldn't know it from the reporting in any of our other news sources).

TOPICS:

WHY SHOULD I TRY VS? / INTRODUCING OUR FAMILY TO VS (Lee)...
Lee reported he learned there are a lot of good reasons for choosing simplicity. He also learned when interacting with family members, don't feel isolated - just about everyone who has chosen to live a simpler lifestyle learns how to handle situations when values conflict (differing ideas on gift giving, more is better, ...). Modeling simplicity will have more of an impact on family members then preaching simplicity's salvation. And by living life by your values, you'll also be a model to everyone else.

KERRY/BUSH DEBATES, ELECTION... DOES IT REALLY EFFECT US? (Ross)...
Group discussion included many of the political elements seen everyday in the media. Concerns included our place in world, leaving others to pay for our huge and ever growing national debt, what happened to the budget surplus of 4 years ago, and the environmental impacts of current and pending legislation and leadership.

COLORBLIND - RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN PROGRESSIVE GROUPS (Bazil)...
We have to get beyond racism. Look at individuals as individuals, not stereotypicals. Bazil learned from a recent Margaret Wheatly workshop that while he may not be able to talk to someone from the hip-hop generation, he can LISTEN to them. By taking the time, having the patience and inclination to listen, we all can learn a lot from folks who are not like us in color, gender, generation, dress, social stature, means, religion, nationality, ... We can overcome barriers by being open to life experiences, and by exploring unfamiliar areas. Bazil shared his experiences living in other parts of the country, and attending a mostly white church service. There, he was intrigued to find several black women in this all white church. When he inquired as to how the women became part of the church, a church member replied, "We adopted their church - that's how we practice understanding different social languages."

MINIMIZING EXPENSES & MAXIMIZING INCOME &
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO A GROUP WHO HAS BEEN OUT OF WORK (William & Mike)...
Mike & Linda have been asked to do a "Your Money Or Your Life" (YMOYL) presentation to a group of folks struggling with extended unemployed (some as long as two years). Sponsored by the local library system, the group meets weekly to discuss work and unemployment issues. They also discuss learning to live of less. What do you say to such a group?

Suggestions included: (1) using YMOYL's Tracking step (keeping track of income and expenses) as a tool for reducing expenses and increasing income (2) YMOYL's Fulfillment Curve (which graphically explains how we got used to the notion more is better) (3) Real Wage Calculation (gaining a clear understanding of how much it takes to put a dollar in your wallet - typically you need to earn $3 to literally put $1 in your wallet). Other suggestions included looking for simple sources of income => it seems there is all kinds of money to be made if we look around. Examples, you can get paid $50-$200 to partake in a focus group, $25/week doing newspaper clipping for a news service, tutoring at schools, proof reading... Doesn't matter if you live in a rural or urban area - look around, be open. There are on line surveys that pay (do a search, BUT be careful for fraudulent sites). And there is always someone in need of some kind of service where you live. Cary suggested handing out the "Generating Extra Income" list published in recent VS Chicago notes (see below) at the presentation).

(reprinted from 4/10/2004 VS Chicago Meeting Notes)
~~~~~~~ GENERATING EXTRA INCOME~~~~~~~
The attending group generated the following ideas;
Distribute flyers for local businesses
Sell items on EBay
Download music for friends
Participate in focus groups
Sell items in consignment shops
Product demos
Provide conference/convention assistance
Sell your CD's
Grant writing
Baking
Donate blood/plasma
Ask colleagues if they need help
Hold a garage sale
Quite your job (thereby reducing expenses)
Get a roommate
House sit
Dog walk
Garden watch
Become a human phone booth
Cater
Shop for others
Help someone shop for a car to get a better deal
Home care assistance (sick/dying)
Baby sit
Draw caricatures
Dress up as a clown for children's parties
Do magic tricks at parties
Tutor
Assist with packing / provide moving help
Review medical bills
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIMPLICITY & FRUGALITY? (Victoria)...
An interesting topic generated interesting conversation. What is the difference? The group concluded frugality tends to be emotional, and simplicity not. Frugality connotes a sense of not being satisfied. Frugality also tends to connote a perception of "cheapness". Simplicity seems freer because it connotes choice. Because of options/choice, simplicity is not going to emotional.

HOUSING/REAL ESTATE - INVESTMENT, SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS (Vicki)...
Investing in sound real estate assets can bring freedom. Example - investing in real estate enabled Ross to leave a job he didn't like. Real estate can also become a family project, providing more opportunities for family members to interact.

Regarding social aspects of real estate investing, Ross rents at 10-15% below market. This offers folks more rental opportunities. Renting below market also reduces turnover and subsequent costs. With less turnover, carpets don't need to be replaced and walls painted as often, there are less vacant months resulting in lost rent income, and tenants who stay tend to think of the place as their own - they take better care of things, further reducing operating costs. In summary, tenants get nicer places at lower rents, and Ross gets less maintenance headaches which offset the costs of lower rents. Overall, a win-win for everyone.

We closed the meeting and space a little after noon, and enjoyed continued conversation on a brilliant October day in front of the 711 W. Monroe building, parking lot, restaurant, car rides home... ^_^
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(Recorded by Mike Lenich)

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