Zero currency.

I just read a newspaper article about Daniel Suelo, and another one here, that set up a resonant hum in my gooey nougat center.

Suelo (né Shellabarger) lives in a cave and thrives on the fat of the land and Walmart dumpsters. He enjoys a wide circle of friends, bathes daily, and eats healthily. He also writes a blog - Moneyless World - from the public library. "When I lived with money, I was always lacking," he writes. "Money represents lack. Money represents things in the past (debt) and things in the future (credit), but money never represents what is present."

Like Annie and me, Suelo was raised in a fundamentalist, evangelical Christian religion. He retains some of that mindset, but perhaps in its purer form that looks within, rather than seeking to impose itself on others. You may find his manner of reflection completely foreign and your own soft nougat innards may not vibrate at all.

I noted how much anger he gets for his point of view, as though his dumpster-diving and money-shunning threaten our capitalist society. I think, instead, they challenge the assumption that we have to throw ourselves daily against the Wall of Commerce in order to (someday) be happy. If I have to be miserable, by golly, this guy should be, too.

This is a kind of courage I know nothing about, and I can admire it when I see it. It may not be your bottle of soda, but check it out.