The Barest Of Necessities

What do we need to live? Really? Think about it for a minute. What are the bare necessities that we, as humans, need?
From a strictly biological standpoint, we need food, water and oxygen, the same as any other living creature on the planet. Can we get away with that? Can modern humans subsist on the barest of necessities? We can, but we'll revisit that in a moment. Let's look at what "modern" humans need and perceive as essential - food, water, oxygen (pointless to even bring that one up, since it requires the least amount of work to obtain), shelter and clothing. The last two items there are where the differences from the rest of the animal kingdom emerge, what makes us human. There are millions of humans living in with just those right now, and many of them are thriving. For thousands of years, in fact, that's how humanity survived. Fortunately, one of these items tends to be a once in a while concern; clothing. Only the roughest amongst us needs to worry about them on a daily basis. Shelter can be anything, though. Sounds harsh, but it's true. Again, we'll touch on that again.
Today, though, in and amongst "modern" society, we need more. Add to our list electricity. How do we get along without that?
Perhaps we should ask members of some religious sects such as the Amish, or perhaps those who have chosen a lifestyle off the grid. In the past 100 years, the vast majority of modern cultures have grown dependent on electricity and what it provides. If you've gone camping for more than a week (truly roughing it), you really wind up missing those "creature" comforts that we "modern" humans have accustomed. But 100 years is still nothing compared with how long humanity has walked this planet.
Yet that one item has become our saving grace. Our ancestors relied on fresh food, either grown by them or picked up for consumption usually that day. In days gone by, meat could not be stored unless it was cured. If you wanted fresh, you either walked to the butcher... or you did it yourself. True, the invention of the icebox in the 19th century made it easier to store perishables, but generally only the wealthy could afford them... and their associated upkeep.
Society has also changed to the point where these more "primitive" lifestyles are generally unacceptable. So, aside from some religious groups and diehards, our new list of bare necessities looks like this -
Food & Water (they share equal billing)
Shelter
Clothing
Electricity
Now that we've gotten it down to four items, you might ask "what about transportation?" Do you really need to own a car? Millions of people in some of our largest cities don't; they walk, ride the bus or mass transit. That's all the transportation they need. If you have children, this might be a problem, though, or if you live out in the suburbs with their usually illogical layout (there are many suburbs that are literally miles from the nearest store. Try being a hunter/gatherer there, I'm sure your neighbors will appreciate that). If you're rural, yes, you need transportation. We can add that to our list.
How about entertainment? You know, cable, satellite? Ask your parents, or their parents. How could people survive without these? Well, they did... and probably did just as well. Same can be said for things like the Internet. Yes, I will admit, I am just as hooked as most to it, but I've also accepted that I didn't have it for the first couple of decades of my life. Some of these things can be supplied for free in most communities, thanks to a marvelous, and I might add old, invention known as a library card.
Communications? Really optional. If you live in the same area as friends and family, you can always visit them. We'll put it on the list, though, after transportation.
We do not need really anymore than that to live in modern society. But we've convinced ourselves that we cannot live without a daily bombardment of television, computer games, Internet, satellite radio. Many of us have buried ourselves under mountains of debt, most of it needless, as a result of pursuing those things that are really unnecessary (and I will admit to doing just that). In the end, you just need to look at that list, and the order in which everything is listed. You will always need food and water, it has to be on top. You have to have shelter, especially if you have a family. Clothing isn't really a constant consumable and doesn't have to be replaced with reckless abandon, regardless of what the dictates of modern fashion insist upon. You can live without electricity, but you can't live without the preceding items. Unless you live a lifestyle where you don't need electricity, though, trying to live without it for too long imposes a whole new set of problems. And so forth.
That's how I look at life, and that's the order I tend to put the necessities. Everything else isn't really necessary.
Now, let's touch bases on a few things mentioned early on in this; what are the barest of necessities? Ask a homeless person. How do they exist? Trust me, many of them are not alcoholics or the mentally ill. There are a lot of people out there who are just the victims of the harsh blows of circumstance. Many of them have still managed to hold on to their dignity, however, and make do with the least this world has to offer. Eventually, they climb up out of that pit to rejoin "society". But the trip can be a long and arduous one. For them, every penny gathered during that climb is like gold.
Remember that the next time you worry yourself sick over how to pay your cable bill, or afford those new shoes or buy that new television. There are people out there who make do everyday with the barest of necessities. They are the ones who are really struggling.