Toilet with flush water tank (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Not a day goes by when I don’t see somebody say something along the lines of “I wish I could just sell everything, buy a property off the grid and live the way my ancestor’s did. Things were so much simpler back then.” The thing is, most people who say this kind of thing have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Personally, I would hate to live like that. Yes, I know that it would be better for the environment, living closer to nature, less complicated and all that, but I really don’t care. I happen to like all the little conveniences I have in my home. Yes, I sometimes struggle to pay for it, but it is worth it.
I have hot water running straight into my home. I can take a nice hot shower on cold days and a nice cold shower on hot days. When the temperature is 40°C in the shade, I can switch on my air-con. When the temperature is near to freezing, I can switch on my heater. At the flip of a switch, I can light up a dark room, turn on the television or listen to music. If I get bored, I can watch a DVD (in 3D), play the Wii or check out some anime. My fridge keeps my water cold, my kettle keeps it hot. I can cook up a storm on my electric stove, or re-heat something in the nuker.
It takes me an hour to wash a load of clothes in the machine as opposed to all day with a washboard. We have flush toilets, soap and toilet paper. We have regular garbage disposal and effective pest prevention. I can filter my water rather take my chances with quality. If my children get sick, they will receive the treatment that they need in the local hospital. An ambulance is just a phone call away. My children are more likely to live to adulthood than die in infancy.
When I get lonely or I need to research something, I can jump online and be speaking to someone on the other side of the world in moments. Two to four days travel can be driven in an hour or two. If I miss my mum, I can fire off an email or hear her voice instantly on the phone. I can film my children’s milestones instead of relying on blurry photos or even memory.
If the food in my veggie patch fails, I can head to the local supermarket. I can buy products from all over the world and enjoy the taste of exotic cuisines. I work for luxuries, not survival. Why would I want to live the so-called ‘simple life’?
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Rafferty's Rules is Closing Down 
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