What is the Voluntary Simplicity Support Group?
We are a group of people who are each in our own process of making choices towards living more simply. Some of us have made dramatic lifestyle changes some time ago, others are preparing. Whereever we are in the spectrum, we all come willing to grapple with issues that arise for us on the subject of choosing to live simply. Simple Living, or Voluntary Simplicity, is not a specific set of rules; each one of us has our own background, baggage, values, ideas needs and desires to work with. What we do have in common is the experience that the way our society encourages us to live (consumerism, materialism, workaholism and all their implications) has lead to a deep dissatisfaction with our lives, including our health, mental,emotional,spiritual state. In addition, there is a link between those who are simple livers and those who hold deep concerns for the condition of our planet, the cause of which is a result of the way we earthlings have been living. For more information on what Voluntary Simplicity is, our website provides numerous links to various relevent sites, as well as an extensive list of reading materials and kindred organizations. Our support group (referred to as "VSSG") had it's inception in February of 1996 at a Voluntary Simplicity Workshop held in Lexington by Michael Fogler. The "founder", Lisa Kaplan, had made a major lifestyle change in 1993, and attended the workshop in order to find community. Inspired by the group of likeminded individuals, Lisa proposed a Voluntary Simplicity support group. While many expressed interest that day, scheduling difficulties (how ironic!) led Lisa and Mac Hudson, another participant of Michael's workshop who felt passionately about his own need for support, to birth the group. For several months it was just Mac and Lisa, but they met every three weeks, and discussed issues related to their choice to live simply, as well as what the group could be. Simple Living Magazine was contacted for their free packet about forming Simple Living Study Circles, and after reading it and contemplating other ideas as well, Lexington's VSSG had a format, as well as a plan of action. Our topics are vast and varied and come from places within any of us that need support, information, consideration, illumination.
Descriptive ads were placed in three local publications where we thought more like minded people would find us: The Good Foods Co-0p newsletter, The Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice's Peaceways newsletter, and the Sierra Club's Cumberland newsletter. We started getting a steady stream of calls and new people started showing up at meetings.
We meet the fourth Monday of every month, from 7-9 p.m. at member's homes. See"Next Meeting is..."in menu above to find out the date and topic of upcoming meetings, or contact Lisa for location, etc.
How can you give gifts and show love and appreciation to someone without becoming part of the consumer/consumption culture?
