For the past three years, an Irishman has lived without technology or equipment, and he is happy than ever
Mark Boyle decided to abandon modern technologies in December 2016, according to Hai. He hasn’t turned on a light, turned on the oven, listened to the radio, watched television, sent e-mail, called, or done anything else modern in the last three years.
It does not require any energy or «sustainable energy.» «That was my starting point, but I decided to go to a more extreme level,» he explained. So he shut off his computer, deleted all of his social media accounts, cancelled his credit card, and disposed of all of his electronic equipment.
He now survives by fishing or farming, making his own toothpaste from wild fennel seeds and cuttlebone, and washing his clothes with the soapwort he cultivated.
His home is a self-built log cabin, and he enjoys spending dark winter nights under sheepskin blankets in front of a cosy wood-burning stove. Mark does not wear a watch or an alarm clock. «I get up at dawn and I’m in tune with the rhythms of the season,» he said.
His home is filled with wooden objects. «Once I get started on woodworking, I can’t stop,» he adds. «It’s just one of my favourite activities.» I can cut (wood) for hours on end.
Mark is not insane; he is a regular person. In Bristol, he worked as a manager for an organic food firm. He went away from information, radio, and television after many years of being close to the modern world.
He also realised that his new life was about seeking calm, not becoming a hermit.
He discovered how to fish. If he wants, he can spend five hours chopping wood. He occasionally sits and reads books. He occasionally looks up at the sky and marvels at its beauty. Alternatively, go for a walk in the woods and commune with nature.
«Nothing bothers me when I walk.» «I feel calm when I listen to the birds sing,» he stated.
His life is unusually quiet, and he couldn’t recall the last time he was upset. «I don’t even know what can stress me out,» he admits.
He makes his own bread and eats potatoes and vegetables. «I used to eat potatoes and vegetables every day.»
