simple pleasures

Whether it's by necessity or choice, I think we're all returning to a pared down way of living. Or perhaps you've never left it - I haven't. According to Russh, Hunter S. Thompson encouraged an embracing of the simplicities which comprise the good life; a toast of sorts “to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee”. It reminded me of an article I read about Bohemianism recently, which you can find the entirety of here. A few choice excerpts below.

Bohemia is a state of mind: a threadbare but vibrant Utopia in which one can prioritise the tenets of creativity, love, merriment, experimentation and arousal of the senses.


What they universally turn their backs on, however, are the ideals of the Bourgeois: tedious middle-class pomp, etiquette and triviality. Whether a Bohemian has originally come from the lower, middle or upper classes, she must eschew the petty values of the Bourgeois: that money, property or status are anything to do with the content of one’s character; that professional success and widespread celebration have anything to do with talent. What is of value to the Bohemian instead is spiritual integrity and creative freedom. The Bohemian would sooner live in the most abject poverty than submit to an undesirable job.


The Bohemian life is, by necessity, cheap. It costs very little to engage in truly Bohemian pursuits. You don't need to save up lots of money to become Bohemian and you don't even need to have regular income. You can begin today by turning down the volume on the Bourgeois command system in your brain. By living cheaply—by lowering your overheads to the absolute minimum—you can probably afford to work part-time instead of full-time or put less stress on your own small business. 

I'm lucky enough to have everything I need - a roof over my head, a computer, a car. Many, many people are not that fortunate, so I am certainly not complaining. But I'm definitely very conscious of where my money goes at the moment. What are your tricks for making sure you never feel too down, and what do you save and scrimp on, and where do you indulge?

While Hunter S. Thompson might have been down with instant coffee, that's my final straw - I always make sure I have my favourite, freshly ground Supreme. What are your 'simple pleasures'?