Sometimes you just want to go out and have a meat and potatoes thing [and] forget the French dressing.
GENE SIMMONS
I am a basic guy. I appreciate people who live and operate on a higher plane of existence, but that isn't me. While some rock out to King Crimson and Yes, I prefer AC/DC. I like things that are uncomplicated and without embellishment. The rest of this post are just examples of my basic nature in action.
I write in a basic manner. Whenever something doesn't sound right, I make it simpler. I try to not use big words or obscure references. When I read other writers, I get the feeling they are showing off instead of communicating to an audience. I am definitely in the Hemingway school of writing. Simple is better.
I dress in a basic manner. 90% of the time, I wear work clothes. I don't wear suits or jeans. I don't dress like an athlete or a gym rat except you may catch me in my walking shoes. My top fashion destination is Goodwill.
I eat basic food. My diet is plant based, but I am easy to please. Salt, ketchup, and hot sauce are my primary condiments. I eat oatmeal for breakfast. I eat sandwiches for lunch. I eat spaghetti for dinner. I am totally fine with leftovers reheated in the microwave. I never eat steak, escargot, or caviar.
I don't smoke cigars or a pipe. I don't drink craft beer or aged whiskey. 90% of the time, I drink water from the tap. The rest of the time, I drink black coffee or a tea hot or iced. I prefer drinking my coffee at Dunkin' Donuts instead of Starbucks, but this is on rare occasions. My preferred coffee is served at home.
I used to drive a 20 year old used pickup truck and would like to drive it again. I don't drive a Lexus, a Corvette, or a Porsche. I would drive the same vehicle even if I won the lottery. I don't care for fancy cars.
I do not own a smartphone but use a flip phone I upgraded to in 2019. That upgrade was forced. I don't care for an iPhone. I also use an old HP desktop computer instead of a Macbook. I am still using Windows 7. Sometimes, I use my wife's Chromebook like I am now.
I buy most of my tools from Harbor Freight. I like the stuff at Walmart, but I don't like the self-checkout. My top place to eat is Taco Bell. I can't eat anywhere else because of my plant based diet.
My entertainment is the radio, a DVD player, and a personal library of used books. I like using the internet to read the news, check my email, and watch gardening videos. I never go to concerts or the movie theater.
I think these are enough examples for you to get the gist of my basic nature. I never thought anything about it until someone mentioned it to me. I am a basic guy. I will admit it. I am a boring guy. In a world full of people striving to be special, I choose to be ordinary and mundane. The irony is this basic way of doing things makes me an exception now. I am a nobody in a world of somebodies. I am a rock in the stream of society.
I have to defend basic now. 20 to 30 years ago, these basic things were just fine. Today, something is wrong with you for liking Pizza Hut over Mellow Mushroom. You are an idiot for driving a Ford instead of a Ferrari. Ours is a pretentious age even if the only way to afford it is to max out the credit cards. To do less is to be labeled a "normie" whatever that means.
You choose basic when you are content with life. I am happy with my life. I don't care to add anything to what God has given me. My contentment comes from my faith in God. I don't expect worldly things to fulfill the needs of my soul. And that, Gentle Reader, is why so many are discontent with their lives. They try and turn everything into a spiritual experience. They seek to overwhelm their senses in the hopes of soothing their aching hearts.
I ignore the discontented. That is the ultimate irony. My basic life is more satisfying than their lives. I do not wish to boast, but I will brag about this. God satisfies me. If you have God, nothing else matters. A simple lifestyle is satisfying to the person with simple faith in God. The material needs of life only need basic things to satisfy those needs.
UPDATE: I have been struggling lately with an obsession over a hiking shoe. This is the Merrell Moab 3 hiking shoe. I don't need a hiking shoe. I don't even want a hiking shoe. I don't even want to go on a hike. I even tried on this particular shoe at Dick's Sporting Goods two years ago and hated the way it fit and felt. The obsession went away and then returned recently. It has made me think that I am the target of subliminal advertising messing with my brain.
Part of my thinking about this issue comes from this excellent video from Levi Hildebrand:
The DARK SIDE of the Outdoor Clothing Industry
Hildebrand points out that the outdoor space has become consumed by the outdoor clothing industry, and this overgearification has diminished people's desire to actually go outdoors because of the irrational fear that they are under equipped. They spend more time researching gear than they do actually going outside. The real clincher comes towards the end of the video where Levi points out that the number one outdoor activity is simple walking which you can do with stuff you probably already own. You don't need a Gore-Tex jacket from Arc'teryx and expensive hiking shoes to walk outside. I know this for a fact as I walk in my New Balance 608 dad shoes and workwear with a Casio G-Shock as my "fitness tracker." If it gets cold, I wear my $10 fleece jacket from Walmart. If it gets wet, I wear my $20 windbreaker from Walmart. Both jackets are close to 20 years old. I think Bush was president when I bought them.
I think the reason for my hiking shoe obsession comes from happening upon some outdoor video or article. I ignore the advertising, but the advertising is working in a subliminal fashion. So, I looked at the ad, and there it was--the Merrell Moab 3. I am not buying the shoes, but I acknowledge the effect of the advertising on me.
There are two words I have learned to ignore when it comes to gear. The first one is "tactical" which is the word they use for right wing oriented military style gear. It could be a pocket knife, boots, or a backpack. On the left wing side, you have "technical." This is the high end gear they sell from outdoor brands like The North Face, Black Diamond, etc.
I don't buy tactical or technical gear. I have learned to get basic gear from Walmart from brands like Coleman, Igloo, and Ozark Trail. For me, the keyword is "practical." Marketing and advertising hate practical stuff. They make more money selling you impractical stuff that they label as tactical or technical.
I think housewives would be better off with a minivan. Instead, they buy SUVs that are not practical at all. Likewise, men would be better equipped with an old fashioned pickup truck or four door sedan. Instead, they buy Jeeps and Porsches that are not practical at all. Advertising and marketing work. People want things they do not need and need things they do not want. That is a helluva trick. So far, it hasn't worked on me, and I intend to keep it that way.
