Let’s get the basics out of the way. First, I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1997, then my family moved to Virginia, US in the summer of 2007. Now my life growing up was for the most part normal, besides moving to a different country where they spoke a different language. I come from a loving family and we were fortunate enough to never really be in a tight situation (not that I knew of, at the very least). I am the youngest of three, with all three of us moving onto higher education; my brothers both being alumni now of Old Dominion University.
So, you may be wondering “why minimalism?” Well the idea came to me two summers ago, in the summer before my junior year. As all college students know, packing all your stuff and then moving it back and forth sucks. My first-hand experience with this was sophomore year, when I had so much stuff that we had to take two cars. So, when junior year came around, I made it a point to take a reduced number of things with me. However, it wasn’t until the summer before my senior year that I really started to research, and follow, minimalism.
Matt D’Avella is one of the minimalists I mention in the examples page, he is also the first minimalist I found on YouTube. Following Matt’s videos on YouTube was what really got me motivated to get involved in the process of minimalism. Whether it be his videos on how to declutter your phone, to why he became a minimalist, to the simple benefits of having a simple wardrobe, all these videos, and more, simply made sense to me. I started asking myself if I really needed something, or if I simply wanted it because it looked like it would impress people. And, as a side note, I think that’s where people could really benefit from minimalism. I’m not saying that everyone should just turn into monks and live with basically nothing, but I believe that we should stop buying for the sake having it. One of my favorite lines ever comes from one of the most mediocre movies I have ever seen, Hellboy 2. In Hellboy 2, the main antagonist says, “Greed has burned a hole in their (humans) hearts that will never be filled; they will NEVER have enough!” Now I know that a fictional movie will be a fictional movie, but I think that line, today, speaks volume. It brings forth the argument that we really will never be satisfied with what we have. An example of this would be Black Friday and Cyber Monday. On these days, people go crazy with shopping, buying things simply because it’s a good deal. Now I’m not innocent in this either, I also buy things on Cyber Monday that I may, or may not, need. And some would argue that Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, allows for those who aren’t better off to be able to afford some important necessities, and, to that point, I would agree.
But my argument isn’t that you should stop buying, like previously mentioned, I don’t support the extreme minimalism that monks’ practice. I’m simply trying to say that you should take a hard look at anything that you’re buying, that isn’t necessities. That you should be aware of the clutter around you, and, if possible, reduce it. For example, over the summer before my senior year, I donated two trash bags filled with clothes that I no longer used, shoes I no longer wore, and gadgets that I hadn’t touched in years. Today, most of my clothes fit into two bags, which works wonders for whenever I must travel. So, while I wouldn’t consider myself a true minimalist, I can confidently say that I have started my path toward it, and I encourage you all to at least consider it; at least as a cost saving method or as a clutter reducing technique.
Made by Guillermo E. Burgos
for ENGL307T Digital Writing
Old Dominion University