Author Archives: Brian McCarrel

About Brian McCarrel

I am the late, great middle class working stiff that is the framework of society. Notice I didn't say foundation, that would indicate my ego was over sized. I (like many of you) am a victim of my own desire to be what those around us think we should be. But more on that later ... And excuse the grammar, I'm NOT a professional.

Not enough room

Posted on May 18, 2013

Well, the hassle that is moving is over. Of course you knew I would have some keen observations. I have spent the vast majority of my adult life in the suburbs and bedroom communities of a fairly major metropolitan area. Although … Continue reading →

Posted in Minimalist Life | Tagged Minimalism, journey, minimalist, consumerism, simplicity, healthy lifestyle, freedom, decisions | 4 Comments

More stuff for your stuff

Posted on April 27, 2013

Recently I was invited to a thrilling Saturday afternoon trip to one of my least-favorite places on earth: the budget department store. I would name it, but Target doesn’t need any more free advertising. I was at a friends house about to … Continue reading →

Posted in Quickies | Tagged consumerism, decisions, healthy lifestyle, journey, Minimalism, simplicity, true happiness | 2 Comments

Inspiring thought for a beautiful spring day

Posted on April 20, 2013

The galleries are full of critics. They play no ball, they fight no fights. They make no mistakes because they attempt nothing. Down in the arena are the doers. They make mistakes because they try many things. The man who … Continue reading →

Posted in Quickies | Tagged decisions, dreams, driven individuals, freedom, journey, knowledge, tranquility | Leave a comment

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures

Posted on April 17, 2013

So it looks like I’m moving Moving is a pain in the ass. I think most of us would agree on that. Even for a minimalist, it still presents problems and hurdles that need to be overcome. Transferring utilities, getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Minimalist Life | Tagged clarity, decisions, freedom, journey, Minimalism, minimalist, serenity, simplicity, tranquility, Zen | Leave a comment

Don’t ever give up

Posted on April 6, 2013

Truth is always pure. The subject matter or the person speaking are not important. Most of the time. For those of you that may not follow college basketball, this is a video of Jim Valvano accepting the 1993 ESPY award for … Continue reading →

Posted in Quickies | Tagged clarity, death, decisions, dreams, freedom, journey, knowledge, peace, tranquility, true happiness | Leave a comment

The Green Issue

Posted on March 29, 2013

Confession time: I’m not as green as I could be. I have always been environmentally-minded. As a child and young adult I followed issues involving pollution rather closely. As I matured I came to embrace the importance of recycling … Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged clarity, consumerism, freedom, healthy lifestyle, hoarding, journey, simplicity | 2 Comments

The Middle Part

Posted on March 25, 2013

I have belted out quite a few thoughts on minimalism over the past year or so. Let’s take a break from our regularly scheduled program and talk about the middle-aged part. Things start to hurt for no apparent reason. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Quickies | Tagged consumerism, decisions, dreams, freedom, journey, knowledge, middle aged, Minimalism, peace, personal observations, simplicity, tranquility, true happiness | 1 Comment

Thoughts for an end-of-winter day

Posted on March 9, 2013

Anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness possesses you, and in this materialistic age a great many of us are possessed by our possessions. Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Quickies | Tagged consumerism, freedom, journey, Minimalism, minimalist, peace, simplicity, tranquility, true happiness | Leave a comment

Blast off

Posted on February 16, 2013

Scratch one off of the ol’ bucket list. Some of you may remember when I casually mentioned I was going to attend a NASA rocket launch. One of my childhood dreams was to be an astronaut. Although that didn’t quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Minimalist Life, Up and runnung | Tagged clarity, dreams, freedom, journey, knowledge, minimalist, peace, simplicity, tranquility, travel, true happiness, vacation | 1 Comment

Dying Penniless

Posted on January 26, 2013

I have always been a car guy. Even at a young age I marveled at shiny paint and bright chrome. The sound of an internal combustion engine was music to my tiny ears. Cars represented freedom, big American freedom and … Continue reading →

Posted in Minimalist Life, Up and runnung | Tagged blogging, charity, consumerism, decisions, hoarding, journey, Minimalism, minimalist, peace, tranquility, true happiness | Leave a comment