A former marine, accustomed to simple living, his home made it clear that this man collected few possessions. His bedroom was simply adorned: a bed, a nightstand, a lamp, a bible, a chair and nothing more—the epitome of austere living.
When this scene was first described to me, I was struck by the simplicity and lack of distraction. I was strangely attracted to this notion of living simply—less is more.
To some, the notion of liberty from the weight of possessions has a particular appeal, while to others the severity of simplicity conveys the thought of restriction. I would argue though, that where some may say restricted, I would positively insert the word restrained.
It is this concept of restraint (and order) that intrigues me. I have a point of view—a hypothesis—that weilding simplicity in our lives makes us more interesting, more productive, more relaxed, and more creative—simply, it can make us “more.”
When a student goes off to college to live in a dorm room there is a form of restriction and constraint. The amount of space is restricted. What you can have in the dorm room is somewhat restricted. How you attach things to the wall is restricted. This can seem harsh, but I think it is something to be embraced.
The summer of our son’s high school graduation, while he was away on the North Shore of Boston working at a college basketball camp. His mom and I decided to move him from his childhood bedroom to a smaller guest room. It is a small step towards the smaller, more confined, and an austere college dorm room that will be his after this gap year.
His childhood was marked by little collected milestones. While little treasures, they were also visual clutter. Unlike me, but like his mother, he doesn’t seem to hold onto many things tightly, or even have treasures. Easy come easy go.
We knew it was somewhat of a risk to reduce his room and material things while he was out, but after all, we weren’t throwing anything out, just giving him a new simpler palette. There would be a pile of things in the dining room for him to go through when he returned.
The reductions we made were in the size of the room, the size of the bed (queen to twin XL), and the amount of furniture. We prized open floor space, easy paths, design, and simple elegance. The goal was to make the transition to a college dorm seem more familiar than reduced and to inspire him throughout this transition year. The Gap Year.
