Am I Simple?

Am I Simple?

An Essay on Simplicity

By Emmanuel Perry

September 27, 2011

Pine Point School

In class this week we listened to a song called ‘A Simple Man’ that was about how to be a simple and humble person. This song made me wonder if I was ‘simple’ in the way the song suggested. Being simple is to not worry about things that have passed in the future. Being simple means that you do not try to buy many things or try to find true happiness through them. It isn’t hard to be simple; I found that out myself. Many of my traits or practices relate to this ‘simple’ song.

        Many of my habits and practices relate to the lyrics in ‘A Simple Man’ . A line in the song says ‘oh take your time…don’t live to fast. Troubles will come and they will pass’, this means don’t rush through each day, missing all the little things and worrying about all the other things. it means to take time to enjoy life and not to worry so much about your problems, for all problems come to an end. I am a very relaxed person and I don’t worry about things to come or things that have happened. There’s a time to work, a time for play, and a time to let it all go away. Another line states ‘and don’t forget son, there’s someone above’ which means that you should be comforted by the fact that there is a greater being that is looking out for you. I am a Christian and I believe that there is a being out there who loves me and watches over me daily. When I am in doubt about anything, instead of worrying about it, I pray to God that he will give me patience and a clear mind to get the job done. One last thing I can relate to is the verse ‘Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold…all I want for you my son is to be satisfied’ in that I do not go out and buy the newest thing merely because it is high-tech and popular at the time. I am very thankful and satisfied with the things I own now. There is no harm in wanting to buy something you want, but will it give you the feeling of joy and satisfaction that it gave you three years later? Many of my possessions have been with me for many years, and they give me the same feeling of excitement as they did those years ago. This song’s interpretation to being simple really surprised me in that I can connect to it in many ways. Maybe I am ‘a simple man’ after all.

There is a man very close to me who seems very ‘simple’ compared to the song ‘A Simple Man’. This man I am talking about is my uncle Ted. My uncle seems so satisfied with his life. I never hear him complain about not having a fancy car or ‘lusting for the rich man’s gold’, as the song would say. Uncle Ted seems so joyful when Mia and I come to his house and tells us how thankful he is to have a nephew and niece that visit him almost every week. He is also thankful for his wonderful home he can go to and relax in during the weekend because he works in New York City during the week. When my uncle does come back to Connecticut to relax over the weekend, he does not bring his worries with him; he lets them go because he knows ‘troubles will [eventually] pass’. The lines ‘you’ll find a woman, you’ll find love’ correlate to my uncle’s relationship with my aunt, Sheryl. They both love each other very much and have been married for a long, long time. They both love to laugh together and almost never fight. Instead, they tend to talk about the problem almost half-heartily with each other. I really love my ‘simple’ uncle and his love for family!

Being simple can be obtained. It may be harder for some than it is for others to obtain the kind of ‘simple’ lifestyle this song tries to promote.  In fact, it may seem downright impossible to change. The change to become a ‘simple man’ may be for the better, but you should remember to always be your own person, no matter how ‘simple’ you are.