Why I gave most of my money & stuff away and lived in a Shipping Container before it was fashionable. The Life & Times of Barry Dutton.
I lived in a shipping container many years ago in 2003 before all this became mainstream.
I had everything nicely packed in there so that my key items were in the first 12' of the shipping doors. And the older I got, after that... the more I desired a simper life, a truly sustainable, meaningful, lower impact one where I had less stuff, and the stuff did not HAVE ME.
Buying less "stuff" and voting with my wallet and my time, against the consumerism relentlessly shoved down our throats.
There is a difference.
I've not shared much about my life since I joined Steemit months ago. Most of my life I have invested into other people and not focused on ME, per se. That's why I have never done a full "Introduction Post" on here -- but a couple times shared info about my life, in glimpses, like today.
I work hard on here trying to learn things, share things and encourage others. Many of my posts take me hours to put together. Some have taken me 8 or 9 hours. And often earn 30 or 50¢. It's all right there on the blockchain. Today's took nearly 5 hours with formatting editing, tweaking etc. I am not an online pro I say again. I try hard to bring value here.
Something like 99% of my post have been 100% Steem Powered and invested immediately right back into this platform and we see the odd payout as a Minnow earning a few dollars on here.... and now always face a whale flag/downvote to suppress rewards, even if we get a payout over $20 or $40 once a month or so. It stifles creativity and desire for some people and the numbers show it on here.
There is a lot of discussion and controversy here about payouts and that is not the only reason why people join.
My name is Barry Dutton and I am more than a Real Estate Salesperson for nearly 30 years now.
I am more than a Blockchain/Crypto Consultant for Land Use & Real Estate Policy.
I am more than a political activist who has poured his heart and soul into PEOPLE and a community and my country to challenge corrupt and morally bankrupt policy in the name of Liberty.
SHIPPING CONTAINER LIFE:
I do not have any pictures of all this from back in the day, I was too busy living it, to document it.
And frankly that is part of the problem these days. Social Media, selfies and all this documenting the good, the bad and the stupid, is really not healthy a lot of the time.
Back in 2003, remember, it was a different time in terms of values, and technology.
That picture above is a good representation of what I was in. Same colour same size, same amount of dings and dents.
It was not this:
Or this:
... THIS:
I circle back to Shipping Container Life here, at the end of my post - on a point!
Drinking, Camping, Roadtripping across Canadastan in my Convertible, to write a book about Hockey...
.... and then Jesus showed up.
I found the Lord in the summer of 2003 as I was about to start a cross Canada tour that was partially lined up and sponsored by big companies many of you would have heard of everywhere, (which shall not be named but that sub title above should give you some ideas of who it might have been) to visit the hometown rinks and towns of Junior Hockey players and their teams, on their journey to the NHL.
- I had pitched writing a book about this to some large companies and it was largely set in place.
Basically I was going to drink and camp my way across Canada, sponsored by those large companies - some connected to the "beverage industries" -- meet up in rinks and bars and whatnot, live on the road and write this book gathering fun and facts along the way.
Seemed like a great plan to me.
I was putting all my stuff in this 40' shipping container and the PLAN was to leave in the following couple days, that summer.
I played with some great players over the years in my youth and was never as good as them. I gave up hockey to focus on other sports in Canada that do not pay you LOL.
I played at a semi professional level in a few sports along the way. I never really discuss that part of my life. Canada is well known for it's love of hockey. Most of you know this, so basically, it was very tied to the fabric of what binds this nation together.
PLANS CHANGED.
The Jesus Factor.
I gave over half my stuff and money away, easily btw. 2003 and 2007.
And I had quite a bit of both. I gave it to needy families. I fed the homeless by myself during the days and middle of the nights in my town and around Canada. I preached in homes, churches, home churches, Walmarts, parking lots, out of my car or in small groups, basically everywhere, all the time, after I found the Lord the summer of 2003.
- I funded my own Ministry and mission trips, around Canada from coast to coast more or less. The short way to say it. I worked for the Lord.
IRONY:
The summer of my great planned camping and drinking my way across the country from coast to coast, paid for by beverage companies, bars and the like..... never happened and I have not had a sip of alcohol since.
"Stuff"
and it having a hold on you, versus you just having it and not placing worth in STUFF.
It is actually a biblical principle tied to the Hebrew word "mammon". I am not going to preach you a sermon, just sharing some things I learned along the way and how they impacted my life.
People too often place a value on "stuff" and it is what we are fed to believe is true -- It is Consumerism culture.
I found out that summer in a bigger way that it is OK to have some stuff, as long as the stuff does not have YOU.
Sick of the Lies, Corruption + Police State -- I run for City Council. 2010
In 2012, after my 2010 run for City Council to REALLY try and help people (for real) and my community as I was really "waking up" in 2009 to all the political lies and filth, I fought to save a local hockey rink in town (Oshawa) where you can see that footage easily online if you want on your own -- just type in Barry Dutton Oshawa Harman Park -- it will bypass a lot of my other speeches, activism, government watching and calling out their corruption and police state tactics.
You can watch me embarrass the mayor of my town if you want. He is honestly a terrible person and a worse mayor. And you cannot separate the 2 really if you think about this. Not just my opinion either from the truly informed and awake..... But really... aren't most politicians terrible?? I digress.
Circling Back to 2003 & Shipping Container Life -- to tie this all TOGETHER:
I stacked everything that summer of 2003 so that the other items all performed 2-3 other functions other than what they were designed for. Items that were not shelves, became shelves.
I flipped over a bi-fold door, folded it in half and that became an 8' long shelf and table.
I piped in hydro from a nearby utility pole and daisychained it into the unit all the way to the back of the 40' container where the last 30' were basically JAM packed full of all my stuff so you had to crawl up and over the packed stuff if you needed something once a month or so LOL but like I said, all the key stuff I needed daily were in the first 12'
I had a kitchen set up with "running" water out of a large water container I refilled once a week and the rest of the time, my food and water was purchased out in public in my travels and at grocery stores. The container was located a block from my gym and less than that for the mall and grocery store. You could not get any handier for cheap food, showers and whatnot.
After a few months my heavy duty insulated cooler that was my fridge that I froze a giant block of ice every 3 days at the church into a large empty protein bucket, was done away with -- I upped the game and used the daisy chained hydro off the extension cord. Plugged in my small bar fridge I got from the back of the unit. Can you say Game Changer? Yes, Yes, you can.
I plugged in my toaster oven, bar fridge, one of my TV's and VCR's and then it really became comfy lol. It also became easier to enjoy better food, cheaper food, being able to literally cook it and warm things up and then use the fridge even more efficiently than that beauty of a cooler for storing perishable food and things and the convenience factor was really something when you are not confined by "The Grid" so to speak, but only appreciating and using small conveniences like this and not overdoing it -- and no bill coming to your door anymore either.
You could only use the toaster oven if you unplugged the fridge for a few mins and that was fine but funny, you can imagine some of the problems as I learned which amp loads really caused issues LOL. Even off the commercial grade hydro pole 10' from my door using a commercial grade extension cord.
I was still bodybuilding at the time so I was in the gym 2 mins away all the time anyways and that is where I showered and often did my dishes.
I could go on but you get the picture.
I had saved this story in my drafts one day quite awhile back after sharing it as a simple 10 min. reply one night to my good friend on here @aunt-deb on Steemit -- our crypto blog, where some friends leave you for no reason like IRL and the rest of us form a bond and support group hahaha! You laugh but you know it is true brothers and sisters.
I have never done a proper introduction post covering a real overview of who I am. I still haven't but this really contains some of that info that would count as a post so it will be tagged with this. Because it contains so much info about who I am as a person. It is also going to be my entry into Deb's contest where she is looking for story tellers this week and frankly as I type, you can see by stacking things in a shipping container to use as shelves that are not shelves, being able to live in 12 x 10 feet super comfortably and live modestly, you can see my sustainability focus:
Some Final Take-Aways:
Do more with less.
Repurpose Everything you can in life, & be a good steward. (including posts, content, stories, photos for impact) -- and more.
You can live simply and live well at the same time.
Unplug....
.... From The Grid that does not care about you and wants your money and you connected to it. Policy tying you to the grid is so tight, you see it when you wake up and realize it is all a scam. Just try and unplug from it, watch the fight to keep you tied to it.
My name is Barry Dutton and I am more than a Real Estate Salesperson for nearly 30 years now. I am more than a political activist who has poured his heart and soul into PEOPLE and a community and my country to challenge corrupt and morally bankrupt policy. I say again.
I have been run over by a car and disabled and suffering and starving in every sense of the word as of Jan. 23 2016 and nearly died while the Grid and the System are politically burying my file with non/malfeasance in every way, trying to take me out and drown me out, it seems super clear to anyone around me and to myself IMHO too when you look at the facts.
- And yet --- I am still here.
The Grid and the System -- don't care about you, it's broken and was designed that way. It's about them, it is clearly not about us, the people. It doesn't work
If we could unite and get along and look at the common things we need rather than what separates us -- we would all be better off, because we really are in this together- and could get more done if we worked together.
If you feel my posts are undervalued or you want to donate to tip me - I would appreciate it very much.
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Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up per week.
Incredible story my friend!!! I found Jesus in 1988 (Thank God he found me many years before). Your story is similar to mine, I never lived in a shipping container but have lived under bridges on several occasions. I've made many fortunes in my lifetimes and always there was someone that needed it more than me...so I gave it away. Once I gave a cabdriver in New Orleans a $800 tip so his family could have Christmas. He was a black guy that could only drive his friend's cab part time. He had 3 beautiful little children. I was making a lot of $$$ working offshore so I gave him what I had. That's been the story of my life. I believe God put us here to help one another. Be Blessed My Brother!!!
Helping other people I think is the most rewarding thing any of us can do. Good on you:)
We learn more about each other every day on here, all of us and you have been a good friend to me on here Rich. I cannot wait one day to have a pizza with you.
Ideally at the rink watching a game LOL
At the Fleet Center watching the B's and the Habs!
Wow!!!!!!! They hate each other LOL -- enjoy your nite man!
I know...I had a really hard time getting into the Montreal dressing room to meet "The Roadrunner." (My fav but don't tell)
He was a lot of peoples' favourites, ask the Russians in 72 LOL, him and Bobby Clarke.
"eh, you were not using that femur were ya??"
lol
Wow what an awesome post - you've been through so much. I never realised you lived in one of those containers too!
It sounds like you learned a lot living in that small space and perhaps the combination of that helped both mind and body with your trips to the gym too.
I think it is so easy in modern times to get caught up in the material wants and forget what is important in life.
I think many people who think they are successful aren't successful at all. They have huge amounts of money and lots of "things" but they have sold the most important commodity of all - time.
They have no time for themselves and no time for their families - assuming they even have families - some people don't even get a chance to do that they are so career obsessed.
What these people don't realise is that they are modern day slaves.
They may have money, they may have status, but they don't have freedom.
Material possessions and status have blinded them and numbed them to the fact that they are slaves to a materialist system which is ultimately unfulfilling and spiritually bankrupt.
Despite your accident and your financial problems you have at least realised the truth and that puts you ahead of many other people.
With that realisation and knowledge I know that things will get better for you.
https://twitter.com/Soul_Eater_43/status/837811841992646656
Amazing reply and I think you are spot on as usual. Container Life -- changed me in a lot of ways.
Thanks for the comments and support my man, it always means a lot to me, I hope you know that.
Vive Liberty!
Thank you!
Yes:)
Disclaimer: I am just a bot trying to be helpful.
I agree 100% with you. I have been awakening myself and dealing with my own issues. It's so strange how very simple everything is when you truly understand why we are here. Love is the only thing that matters. I was strung out on opiates for 7 years from my teens to 23 years old. Once I hit bottom I started to focus on giving back to make up for the damage I had done to so many people. I have literally been in hell for the last 7 years thinking that all I was here for was to benefit other people and hate myself for my past. I had a full break down a couple of months ago and realized that I was fundamentally broken. I needed to fix myself. It wasn't until about a week ago that I could even wrap my mind around loving myself or accepting that I matter. It was a scary realization and the grief was maddening. It was somewhere in there that I realized I was capable of sharing so much love and kindness with others, that I do have value. I realized we are all connected and we are all one, and now I recognize that includes me.
Wow, that is a great response. Honestly.
I have a couple things to attend to today that are taking my time up and away from this post but I will be dealing with the replies with as much care as I can.
I have spent time with people that are less fortunate a lot of my life, and often, they teach us important lessons and I have always thought that was neat and always been grateful for those moments
I really appreciate your comments today my friend. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing some of your story, Barry. I've lost and given up much of my STUFF too. In fact, for the past 7 months most of my things are in storage because this house I'm in is only shelter and I never wanted to make it comfortable enough to call it home. I want to live simply. I don't miss my stuff either.
For you, my friend, I wish you blessings and more blessings. I was hushed once when I said aloud, "Oh Lord, please give me strength to deal with this!" She hushed me up quickly! Her words, which will forever stay with me was, "NEVER ask for strength because He will test them."
"Then what do I ask for?" I asked.
Her answer, "Honey, nothing but blessings. Only ask for blessings."
Your situation I have read comments on and about the last couple months or so has honestly been on my mind a lot and your post last week about the job thing has stuck with me too, I want you to know.
Frankly I wish I could do more to help people these days but it is just not in the cards and you have been one of the people here who have helped me and know that.
I have ALWAYS ALWAYS been that guy trying to help people and get things done. Now I am the one needing help and see those are the reasons I ran for city council --- to tell the system it is not working, and fight for my residents.
Thanks Meredith. I appreciate you.
I have always had a hard time asking for help because just when I feel like I can't take anymore or that I want it a little easier, I see someone who has it worse than me and I have nothing to ask for.
I, too, have always been the type to hold out my hand to help a fellow human being - and yes, sometimes I feel taken advantage of but I figure that's their karma - not mine...and I also take ownership of it because I allowed it to happen.
I will never stop giving but I have to remember that I am worthy to give back to myself too...and so are you. It's not greed. It's self-preservation.
Are you feeling better?? Are you halfway up that other mountain yet??😁
I used this gif today, TWICE!! I just love it so much LOL, TY so much for this comment again, -- and this gif!!!!
I have been tied up a lot of the day with things offline.... I saw this come in about an hour ago, and was smiling the whole time LOL...
TY for that, I love that comment and gif!!!!
Thanks also for your past help and support Tuck.
"If we could unite and get along and look at the common things we need rather than what separates us"
😊
(:
That is a level of freedom that rich people will rarely experience.
Good surviving,....
I am glad you got time to have a look today man, thanks a lot.... I appreciate you stopping in my man.
#Freedumb
Funny Barry, had to LaughOutLoud!!!
Anything for you Frank !
LOL
Nice post Barry. Thanks for sharing. I think you'll find as I did here on steemit that when you really open up about your personal past and who you are it can be a scary moment. In most places you might be ridiculed and made to regret sharing something. For the most part my experience here on steemit when I truly open up has been the opposite.
It has been a pleasant surprise.
our recent chats had me thinking I would like you to read this.... and I am glad you did. I am just not able to be online as much these days with my issues and injuries and it has been a true daily fight with the man... and his grid in the matrix I want no part of.
TY for reading and commenting my man. Appreciated.
Sadly as much as we don't want to be in the grid and the matrix, simply extricating ourselves immediately is not always something that works out too well. I'd like to work towards someday (likely generations away) extricating ALL of humanity from it.
Or at least fundamentally altering what that hing is so it focuses on freedom, free thinking, critical thinking, etc. If we can do that we'll be in a position I believe to solve most problems.
I have always tried to do my part and wake and teach the masses. Without a mass awakening and walking away from the clutches and damage the man has caused humanity, we are doomed.
You have a beautiful history of life, so that is what counts, we come to this world to learn and try to live a dignified life, have the right and necessary for a life with social commitment, respect to be respected and actively work for Leave some teaching in this world of passage.
Beautiful story dear friend @ barrydutton may god bless and enlighten your way.
I already told you in another moment and I repeat I am at your disposal for what you may need
I send you a big hug
Luis
You have become a good friend to me on here, thanks for the reminder there as well on some things.
Beautiful words, from you today mi amigo. Thank you.
I wanted you to read this and am glad you did!!!!
Well done congratulations
Great post! You have clearly had a very fortunate and interesting life. I am so glad to see some positivity here on Steemit. I feel exactly the same way...Rome was not built in one day so together we can achieve so much more. Little by little we can all change the world that we live in. (This is a winning post. It made more than 30 c today! )😁
LOL, yes, I cannot wait to get whale flagged for it earning over $1 while all my hard work and effort on the rest of the platform goes silently ignored as the big picture while "community" is discussed by people who likely have never done much to actually build one or work in one like many others have IRL
Have a good weekend.
Minnow STEPS UP to thwart off WHALE FLAG!!!
Wow LOL, that is funny.
Great comment right there folks.
You have become a nice friend to me on here , even though we are only weeks old as Steemian friends. You are more to me than a Crypto guide.
And maybe that is the nicest part about all this, that no payout on a post, or a whale downvote to suppress rewards and censor free speech, will ever take away.
Thank you for being a consistent friend to me.
Hoped you like it. Lol.
Minnows can flex too with some change... (-;
I just got back online to check the replies etc after getting my funny Star Trek Mooning meme up and saw your donation WRT this to me, and your nice comments here, and in the wallet tx.
That is so nice of you. I struggle on here most days, so to get a post with a lot of comments, which honestly - many of my posts get but just with a low payout --- I have ALWAYS always said votes and comments/engagement truly mean a lot to me.
TY for your kindness Frank. I honestly appreciate it a lot.