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At first sight, Benjamin is a young man as the others, except that in a world where the
money is omnipresent, he decided to live without a penny and thus, to consume in another way.
" Hello, I wanted to know if you had fruit of vegetables, or some things
That you give to animals.
- No nothing, I am really sorry - nothing? Well it doesn't matter.
- Ah but it's perfect, it is exactly this that I want, thank you!
It has been almost three and a half years that I eat mostly unsold articles, often people
offer me things also or share food with me but I eat a good 80 % of things who would
end up instead in the trash can.
This is how he lives, Benjamin, on exchanges and on recycling, a lifestyle which he defends
on the Internet, with photos of a journey in brazil and in Mexico, realized without
spending a cent, a proof for him that money can't buy happiness.
"This is me, after I got stolen, I had three things: a yellow T-shirt, a red pair of shorts
and flip-flops during a month I had only that. It would be hypocritical to say that there
is no money used in my lifestyle, on the other hand for me the important thing is to go towards
a society where we share more, where we consider each other as a big family, and where we make
all exchanges without having this idea of value in it, whhere we would give, recieve,
just for the pleasure, trusting each other and live together.
And I think that my experience can help to go to this direction, we have to share more.
"
Today, his life holds in this small cardboard box, he lives with his sister and help her
with daily tasks and in exchange he gets accomodation but do not say to her that her younger brother
takes advantage of her kindness.
" A parasite for me, it is someone who shares not, who is selfish, who takes advantage of
others while it is not the case of Benjamin, we live together, we share, it is a great
experience, he makes us discover lot of things and I would even say that thanks to him we
saved money. "
Next adventure for Benjamin, the construction of a community based on an economy of gift,
maybe a new chapter in this story of a hippy of modern times.