by Jane Dwinell

It's been interesting to have been in the media spotlight the past few months. Because of our involvement with the Your Money or Your Life program and the issuance of the new and revised version of the book, we
have been interviewed locally (in Seven Days) and nationally (in AARP Bulletin). With such interviews come responses — something I did not expect. All but one have been positive, with many people asking more questions about our unique way of life.

It's been fun responding to people from all over the country, people who are craving a different way of life, understanding that simplicity and sustainability have a lot going for them. It's great meeting kindred spirits, whether they are in the deserts of Nevada, the islands off Seattle, the corn belt of the Midwest, or right around the corner.

Only one person (in an April 24, 2009, letter to Seven Days) had something negative to say — several somethings, actually — and her comments have lingered with me. The gist of what she said covered three areas:

1. She didn't believe we could afford a houseboat in France simply by living frugally,
2. She was concerned that because we didn't have health insurance that we were "on the dole" and she
was paying for our health care,
3.Finally (and most disturbingly), she felt her friends would laugh at her if she made some of our choices.

Whew. How easy it is to be misunderstood, especially when what you are doing is out of the mainstream.

I sat down and did the math after I received this woman's letter. She said it wasn't possible to afford a houseboat in France if you hung out your laundry instead of using a dryer — but it turns out that by not buying and using a dryer for twenty years with a family of four (including cloth diapers for the babies!), we saved one-third of the cost of this houseboat that I'm currently sitting on. By giving up a few more "necessities" — books from the bookstore (opting instead for the library), cable TV, daily newspapers, coffee and lunches purchased on the go — it was simple to save the other two-thirds needed to buy this boat. (Compound interest and prudent investing in our favor.)

It's all about choices.

We have chosen not to have health insurance. This was, and is, a challenging and hard decision. As we get older, we face concerns about a possible decline in health or unexpected accidents and
diagnoses. We don't go to the doctor except for emergencies and we pay as we go — in cash. No, we're not on the dole. We have learned how to take care of minor injuries and ailments at home. Ice, elevation, and
rest work well for strained and sprained extremities. If they're still sore and swollen in a day or two, then we make the trip to the ER. Fluids, rest, and over-the-counter fever-lowering medications are all that are usually needed for colds and flus. We have learned to take care of the basics ourselves, and only turn to the professionals when something is clearly wrong and not healing on its own.

Then there were the letter-writer's comments about her friends making fun of her if she made some of our choices. My first thought was, "She needs some new friends!" and my second thought was, "How sad." What does it say about us and our lives if we make our choices based on what people will think of us? Are we not full and complete human beings who havze the right to live as we please if we don't infringe on the rights of others? What kind of friends make fun of the people they know for honest and sincere choices?

Our society and our times lay so many choices before us. We have so many forms of media, life is faster (or so they tell us) and we must do do do to keep up. But we can stop, slow down, savor life, and make our own choices based on what is right for us — as individuals, as couples, as families. It's a brave — and necessary — thing to do. We can opt out of what our society tells us we must do and know. We can choose to limit our consumption of stuff, to say no to excessive activities, to things that various "authorities" (media, doctors, politicians) tell us we must do, to a society that tells us more is better. More is not better. What you actually want for yourself and your family is better.

For us, that was spending part of each year on our houseboat in France. Before you have visions of yachts, the Cote d'Azur, and the glitterati, I can assure you that houseboats (and houseboaters) come in all sizes and styles. You can go small and modest, like we did, or vast and opulent. It's simply another choice.

The point is that we have made a choice. We chose to do without a dryer, a microwave, a TV, cell phones, meals out, and a whole lot of other things to spend time together as a family, and be able to travel. As our children have grown up and the two generations have gone their own ways, we continue to make choices. One generation continues on in Vermont and the other to the waterways of France, for part of the year.

Tonight, I raise a glass of excellent (and inexpensive!) French red wine to those who are brave enough, clear enough, and proud enough to make honest, open, and thoughtful choices. I gaze out over this small village in northeastern France at a mother and daughter out walking the family dog, enjoying the evening air and each other's company. I gaze out over another houseboat with a family of Germans aboard, happy to be on the French canals. I gaze out over the train station where commuter trains stop and go and freight trains plod on through. I gaze out over the factory on the other side of the canal and know that people rely on this place for their livelihood. I gaze at the restaurants across the street and know they are feeding their people. I am glad to have made the choice to spend time in this different, yet similar, culture.

There are so many choices to make in our big, diverse world. What choices will you make? And how will you make them? Your life — all of our lives — will depend on the choices we make, now and in the future.

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About Common Sense
Common Sense is written by Jane Dwinell and Dana Dwinell-Yardley, a mother-daughter blog team. They live, respectively, on a small canal boat in France and in a container-garden-and-housemate-crazy Montpelier home. Send them your questions and comments about food, fuel, family, or financial independence! Write to mountaingirl at vtlink dot net. You can also check out some of their other writings at their website: Spirit of Life Publishing.