One by one, things that I thought were necessities or took for granted are being peeled away, and I’m still OK!  Examples:

The photo moratorium.  Since I can’t take any, I’m forced to just really see and admire my surroundings, not just record them.  Looking back a year reminds me I already took those same subjects ad infinitum, and can survive without hundreds more.  Also, it saves space on my computer!

Food and necessities constrained by income timing and bills.  My credit score just increased beyond my former record, simply because I refrained from spending what little money I don’t have!  I’m actually finishing off the last of my food until I can afford a few groceries, and doing without things I thought I couldn’t.  Man may not be able to live on bread alone, but I literally can!

All the miscellaneous clothing, gifts, discretionary impulse spending I can’t afford anymore.  So what if all my socks and clothes are threadbare and torn!  Nobody cares what I look like anymore anyway, which saves me money and time.  And everyone knows I can’t buy them gifts anymore, so they don’t expect as much.  I suspect some of my former impulse buying was driven more by emotional neediness than actual need.

I’ve also found that if I wait a little longer, somehow the thing I need comes to me in one way or another.  So I’ve learned to wait more patiently.  Or I embrace the minimalism.  Less baggage to schlep around with me!  Downsizing without all the effort!

So without my photos as a crutch, I’m forced to fall back on actual thoughts, ideas, concepts!!  Maybe even content other people can relate to, not just me!

And without a functional phone, I can’t just waste time scrolling rubbish.  I have to actually do stuff!

Here’s something from a year ago today.  Hmm, an improvement over this year’s current production.  My work is cut out.