98

 Being with a fellow human

Stepping on the path of being with another human feels right. Growing together, nurturing a safe and supportive space, manifesting gentleness and care are some of the aspects of being-together that I am excited about. I am curious to see how my practices of being in the world differently (such as extreme minimalism and staying in the local area) will unfold over time, and how that fellow human and I can practise being in the world differently together, in new circumstances. Being on my own meant that all the decisions were mine. In my decisions, I had to take my own wellbeing, nature and society into account, but not any particular (other) individual since my previous partner and I went our separate paths. Naturally, that was easier. Yet, being with another human feels like a more multi-dimensional experience, e.g., our connection is a space where I can safely manifest love and vulnerability. To this fellow human, my practice of extreme minimalism, living without furniture and so on might come across as taking sustainability too far. However, I feel fortunate that this person is likewise on a path of self-transformation and a more sustainable mode of living. 

97

 Gift from a fellow human

I find gift giving challenging to navigate as a social ritual. Living only with the objects I find useful and beautiful means that I don't keep items simply because they were a gift. I do not feel bad about donating/sharing/giving away the items I received as gifts, though on some occasions my family members were offended that I gave away the items I received from them. Objects embody nature, they require energy and materials to be produced, and I want to be mindful of this even when engaging in socially important rituals. When I want to offer something to a fellow human, I ask them what they want or need, or I hope that they simply tell me what they want or need and I will get it for them when I have an opportunity/possibility/means. Perhaps this takes away some element of surprise or comes across as an easy or pragmatic option, but doing this seems most authentic and in alignment with my mode of being. 

Recently my fellow human gave me the most beautiful gift. It's a stone he found in Denmark and brought to Finland for me. The stone reminds me of that human being and makes me think how humans can handle social situations and rituals alternatively, more in line with ecological and spiritual worldviews rather than with social norms (e.g., assuming that giving gifts is an expression of love).