‘The Man Who Quit Money’ and the 2017 NYC Pride March
Another
great documentary just found me. ‘The Man Who Quit Money’ is a short
(25-minute) film about the life of Daniel Suelo, who, 12 years ago, left jobs
in computer technology and medicine to experiment with a new way of living: completely
without money.
Suelo
relinquished his role in the American economy after, as he explains, he
observed nature at work - a perfect system that is beautiful and balanced and
stays that way without currency. Like others, he also grew tired of living in a
credit-debt economy, where worries about money take up too much space in the
brain.
He’s
been living a traveling lifestyle, although he’s narrowed things down to two
campsites that he frequents. A tent is his shelter. For food, he not only eats
the fruits, veggies, and herbs that Mother Nature offers, but also, as he
described it, “dumpster dives” (don’t be grossed out - we toss away way too
much good food). Occasionally, he receives food through the generosity of
others.
He
doesn’t worry about health. His years in the hospital system showed him that we
are positively obsessive about health. Add that to the money worry, and we are
a society that does a lot of worrying.
He
also observed the chronically-ill elderly, who were habitually kept alive long
after death would have naturally occurred. They were miserable and left to
anguish for months and even years past the point where nature, in its wisdom
and kindness, would have released them from their suffering.
Nature
doesn’t allow suffering to drag on as we do. Nature, as Suelo says, “doesn’t
stand for it”. Our ‘medicine’ prolongs suffering to absurd and costly extremes.
Nature has great compassion: we have little. Suelo is in good health and is
well fed, and he hasn’t seen a doctor in more than 12 years.
Most
of all, he’s very happy. He sleeps when he’s tired, eats when he’s hungry, gets
plenty of sun, walks every day in fresh air, and makes friends all the time. He
has an intense reverence for the sun, air, water, and the natural world – these
priceless things we take for granted. This former 40-hour-a-week wage earner
made the break, and he’s not looking back. It’s an awesome story.
I’m
heading to the Pride March in New York City in June! Wesleyan sent out
invitations to its alumni network to go as a large group representing
Wesleyan’s LGBTQ community at the 48th annual march, and I
registered.
I’ve
always wanted to participate in the Pride event, and to go as part of a team
representing our Wesleyan LGBTQ colleagues makes it even more meaningful. The
bus there is free for alumni, and just $10 for those who didn’t have the good
fortune to graduate from an incredible university like Wesleyan. Sorry, but
I’ve always been super proud of my alma mater!
In the
garden: last night we planted the ‘Give-Away’ food garden. Mosquitoes were
rampant, so we moved quickly to plant and then gave everything a deep watering.
This weekend, we’ll put up the trellises and supports and feed the veggie
plants some pure nitrogen.
I noticed in my travels through the gardens that the sweet mint is coming back big time. Summer would not be summer without tons of sweet mint. It makes a yummy, cooling sun tea. I add it to smoothies and fruit, summer rolls and salads, pesto and sandwiches, rice, veggie burgers, and hummus. Steeped overnight in water, it makes a refreshing hair rinse that leaves my hair soft and smelling gorgeous. Gawd I love summer.
Check
out the film ‘The Man Who Quit Money’ and consider joining the Pride March in
NYC on June 25. Both are excellent ways to further your awakening.
Live
in peace.
