Cottagecore-style living
Advent
… and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12
Is this not just yesteryear’s most sage advice for modern living? Especially in the light of the fact that more and more people have expressed the need to get away from it all: be it the absolute drudgery of the commute, workplace conflict or an incessant and increasingly fast-paced rat race that threatens to throw people off the rollercoaster of life altogether.
Quiet life
Individuals worldwide are waking up to the idea of a quiet lifestyle in the woods or wherever; away from the madding crowd. And something huge happened a few years ago that really precipitated the adoption of having a quiet life en masse, thrusting it firmly into the spotlight.
Chillingly, the period around Advent 2019 also signalled the advent of something quite sinister that was about to change the world as we knew it then. It was when the world first started to hear about a mysterious disease that was affecting the Chinese. Originating in Wuhan, it soon swept through towns and cities all over Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.
By God’s grace, Africa was affected to a lesser extent. Little did we know how monumentally it would disrupt and change the trajectory to the start of the next decade. (We will not enter any discussion of the current flu-like symptoms swamping China again this Advent.)
Advent of lockdowns
Well into my two score and ten then, I had never experienced lockdowns before. I think most of us in my neck of the woods, had never dreamed of actually wearing masks; I detest it still.
Fellow scribes and communicators also confirmed something weird: we all felt like we were losing some mental acuity and experienced devolving social skills.
It could be because most of us were spending so much time on media channels whiling away the time waiting for the next announcement to be made.
In addition, everyone seemed to be baking bread all of a sudden, while air fryers became the rage. We were working from home in our comfy clothes and pyjamas. Remote work, baby, is how we rolled.
I think it changed the world of work for many who had never dreamed or entertained the thought of working from home before. Incredibly, time spent commuting could be spent with family, eating better or going for a run or other physical activity where it was permitted.
Increasingly, would-be content creators, consumers, marketers, et al realised how content creators were able to weather the storm as consumption skyrocketed and, increasingly, more people decided to try their hand at it. My love for the visual, too, was reignited through outstanding videography of talented YouTube creators.
Storytellers like Allison Anderson, Jonna Jinton, Peter McKinnon, Flying the Nest and Kara and Nate Buchanan were able to pivot successfully and build on their creatively stunning channels.
Cottagecore lifestyle
All of a sudden during those lockdown, people started to grow their own, organic food, while the cottagecore lifestyle, as it is called, and escaping it all, became de rigeur.
In fact, a home-making channel, I have since discovered has become a favourite and Pick up Limes taught me how to make all kinds of healthy food with an Asian bent. Speedily, the emphasis shifted to our homes, taking care of ourselves and having hobbies again.
People seemed to prefer the slower pace of life; it was a breath of fresh air – time to smell the coffee and the roses. No longer were people interested in the frenetic, break-neck pace of work and life so prevalent at the time. There was most definitely an unprecedented, seismic shift in what was meaningful with regard to the world of work.
Without being insensitive to those who had incurred vaccine injuries, the experience of many during that period was respite and a time to reset our lives. It helped people to honestly assess where their lives were headed and pivot towards values they held dear or had inadvertently departed from. I believe it played a role in the way my life has unfolded too.
Simple life
So many felt a pull to simplify life and go back to doing the things that matter. I think Hans Hofmann hit t on the head when he said:
So many people expressed exactly this, that the lockdown had served a purpose; it had removed the reasons for busyness and opened us to reflection about what was really important in life. An Old Testament writer most of us can quote made these two interesting statements:
The work required
This Advent, as we celebrate the life Immanuel, who is fact “the life” (John 14:6) may we be reminded to honour the King of Kings and live our lives for him. May our “simple” lives bring him immense glory. I do not think that it was coincidental that so many of us woke up to that reality.
No longer did we, as a collective, want cumbersome, drawn-out commutes; no longer were people willing to sacrifice precious family time, and many said “no” to unhealthy lifestyles compounded by fast food on the go as had become the norm that ended up robbing us of our health.
God’s way truly is the best way. He made us and knows exactly what He need and how to meet those needs. I will say it again, how wise the Word and how incredible is our God. The premise is as true as ever: honouring God is the best thing we can do.
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Please note Scripture quoted throughout is taken from the New International Version.
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