Since I started hosting Sashiko workshops, I often hear the word of “Slow Living Lifestyle” from the people I met. The goal of my activities regarding Sashiko is simply to introduce Sashiko. I do not intend to advocate the importance of Slow Living Lifestyle throughout introducing Sashiko to the world. I just simply want to pass this beautiful handcraft culture to the next generation. However, I realize, in the result, I enjoy the Slow Living Lifestyle with Sashiko, by following the Sashiko tradition.
Regardless of my intention, since I am sharing the slow living lifestyle, I would like to learn about what Slow Lifestyle is.
I was longing to be the capitalist.
The world focuses on its speed. How fast you can reach the goal gets validated. The result is more valuable than the process.
In my 20’s, I wanted to be the capitalist. I wanted to invest my asset to the organization to make the world better. Innovation and Productivity were the keywords I focused on. I studied Business in the college. I worked hard without sparing the effort and time to require the necessary skill and asset to achieve my goal.
After several life-changing experiences, I end up with being a stay-at-home father to look after my daughter. Regardless of my shame to not to work, I couldn’t get a job because of my immigrant status. It was the only way to keep the family together, so I changed my mindset.
When you suffer from the fact of not getting any money coming in, you may focus on not spending money on things.
That’s how I started enjoying the home-making with DIY concepts. In addition to the regular house-making chores like cooking, cleaning, and laundry, I build the furniture, I repair things like auto, small appliances and such. It is completely the other side of being the capitalist. I am the labor. However, I enjoyed it a lot.
Instead of paying $138 to Toyota Dealer for headlight restoration, I could purchase a kit of DIY for #20 and complete it within a few hours. Some people say it is a waste of energy and professionals do better jobs. Some people like me may say that the I enjoy not only the result by my hands but also the process of learning the new things. I am not trying to make the argument of who is right or wrong. I would like to just share the other view of happiness in life.
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This life changing term reminds me that I was raised in the culture of “upcycle,” in Sashiko family.
Enjoying the Slow Living Lifestyle with Sashiko
I also start questioning if the human future with focusing on innovation and speed would provide us the happiness. The race will never end. Do human really need to leave part of a human who is not as productive and speedy as the rest of us?
Honestly speaking, I do not intend to advocate the Slow Living Lifestyle against to the current speedy life style. I enjoy the IT innovation and receive the benefit from mass-production. I don’t think I can go back to primitive lifestyle.
However, I would like to introduce the beauty of Slow Living Lifestyle throughout introducing what I can do, Sashiko.
We used to have Slow Living Lifestyle everywhere in the world. Boro wouldn’t be created if the mass-production benefited people 200 years ago. Throughout my life-work of introducing Sashiko, I will try my best to make a research on the Slow Living Lifestyle with Sashiko. Moreover, I would like to share the enjoyment with the Slow Licing Lifestyle with Sashiko.
The topic will continue. Come visit our website again.