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A mother of many children uses her strong arms to haul in yet another bucket of water from the creek. She wears simple clothing that is handmade, from all that she could afford – a needle and a thread. That needle and thread were held in her hands for hours as she squinted to make those stitches over lantern light after the children were quiet in bed.
She sleeps next to her husband in a one-room cabin, surrounded by the stirs and heavy breathing of her many children. Those children spend most of their day helping mama keep the fire hot, the water bucket full, and the food cooking. The other part of their day involves helping Papa tend the animals and the plants, and learning from their school books under the tutelage of mom and dad.
Her husband falls into bed hard every night after 14 and sometimes 18 solid hours of outdoor work. Wood to split, animals to feed, plants to tend, butchering to do, supplies to fetch, structures to build… the work is always long, always physical, and always fulfilling. It gives him time to think and see the Lord’s handiwork in swinging an ax, planting a seed, and culling a rooster.
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Everything they own can be eaten, used to make food, worn, read, or held close and squeezed goodnight while whispering "I love you." There is no toilet… no washing machine… no water pump.
Every morning they thank the Lord that they have so much while deserving worse than nothing and every night they go to bed with hearts bursting full of joy and contentment because they have never been told that they "deserve" a better "quality of life".
That woman is not me and that life is not mine.
A Little Perspective, Please
No, my life is much easier, my arms more squidgy, and my heart more frequently filled with the angst of a generation without an ounce of perspective and whose hearts overflow with entitlement rather than contentment.
To some who stop by this space and see that we do not have a toilet or a hot water heater or more than 300 square feet, I gather from their comments and emails that some view us as poor people or even martyrs for our cause.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. If you take away our solar panels, this laptop I write from, the solar refrigerator we have, the freelance work that allows us to continue to build infrastructure, the sink I wash dishes in, the help I get every week in washing those dishes, the nearby town where we can purchase anything we need, toilet paper (for crying out loud); we have so. much. more. than most people have had throughout the entire existence of man and most likely much more than most of the current world population.
Because of the desperate pursuit of a very specific quality of life that was most frequently only held by the very wealthy, we have no historical perspective on what is truly needful to exist.
- If you have food and shelter and warmth then you probably have more than many.
- If you live in a place where tonight you will not fear for your life and that of your child’s then you have more than many.
- If your children are all still living then you have been spared the pain of losing half of your family as many people have throughout history.
- If you have more than a few sets of clothing then you have more than most.
- If you have access to clean drinking water then you have more than some.
- If we have more than any of that then we need to consider whether we need it, and whether having it has dire consequences.
This is Civilized?
In the western world there is a prevailing way of thinking that to be a civilized people is to have flushing toilets, electrical lighting, appliances that wash our laundry, immediate and daily access to baths and showers, and a career away from the home that doesn’t involve physical labor.
But tell me…
What is civilized about foregoing our responsibilities as parents, stewards, and community members for a job that feeds us the money required to live this life of comfort?
What is civilized about having no connection to the soil from where our food comes?
What is civilized about turning the other cheek to the entities we rely on for our livelihoods while they ruin the soil for future generations, poison our children, and perform science experiments on unwitting entire populations?
What is civilized about a people who will go to any length to secure resources, tax the land irrevocably, and put their hands and those of their children into the shackles of dependency on the most wicked and greedy entities imaginable – all in pursuit of a level of comfort?
What is civilized about a people who will verbally protest against the entities who "take their rights, their money, and their religion" away, but aren’t willing to give up a few comforts in order to stop being dependent on those very entities to live?
We are trading the very lives of our children and our children’s children for the ability to avoid a backache and flush our crap into oblivion.
And yeah, it makes me mad.
Because the only thing I can think of that could be worse than a people who think they need this quality of life is a people who think they deserve this quality of life.
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46 Responses to You Can Take Your Quality of Life and Stick It: On Perspective and Being a Civilized People
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Oh, yes! I agree heartily! Coupled with the idea that we’re “civilized” is the silly idea that we are a smart culture. I think we are getting dumber–and rapidly. In many ways, the people of the Middle Ages were smarter than we are; we rely so heavily on modern technology that we’ve lost much of the ability to live without it, even those of us that try.
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Wow, such powerful writing! I love this! You’ve really outlined the insanity in our sense of entitlement beautifully. What are we doing to ourselves, our planet, the future???
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I both agree and disagree. My dh works for a Fortune 500 and makes (what most would consider) a very high salary. I run my own business p/t and do very well. I am a SAHM of four boys and we are currently building a home on 7+ acres. We plan on planting a huge garden, an orchard, chickens, guinea hens, and a beef cow. We eat as local as possible, stay away from PUFA’s, shun fluoride, flu vaccines, etc. Most people think I am a weirdo for running to colloidal silver rather than antibiotics.
But we are building our home with a 30 year mortgage. It will run about 4500 square feet on a single level and mirror basement. We are preparing for our youngest son to live with us forever (autism) and parents in the future when their spouse passes away. We don’t plan on ever moving again and passing the land to our boys who live outside and love this piece of heaven we found.
I wish I had your bravery to forge out but frankly I don’t want to. My farmhouse is being built with love and much of it is being done by us. We have haunted auctions, old barns (we even took one down for the wood and beams) and Craigslist. When all is said and done we will save about 25% on this house.
My husband is an Eagle Scout and has lived in the woods for 6 months alone. We are teaching our boys to survive and they can both shoot with amazing accuracy.
My point is that there are many viewpoints and one does not need to live exactly as you or exactly as me to be right.
I admire the heck out of you for doing what you do but even if I wanted to I couldn’t. My youngest son needs the therapies that are available here. I LOVE reading your blog and think you guys are just awesome.
I agree that kids are being turned into sedentary blobs and the government is encouraging it every step of the way (eat more Canola!!!).
Blessings to you and yours!
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Shannon Reply:
January 17th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
Kathryn –
I really appreciate that you can simply say “frankly I don’t want to”. Nobody’s trying to force anyone to do anything. Obviously we believe this is how folks ought to live, just like how you live your life declares how you think people ought to live.
Also, in reference to your other comment, agrarianism does not mean everyone farms all the time. If you look at my other comments you will see that I mention agrarian societies having different specialists that were truly needful such as blacksmiths, doctors, midwives, millers, etc. Those folks also lived simply and most likely didn’t outsource everything, go into great amounts of debt, or move away from any connection to the soil in order to do those specialties.
To me it is not necessarily “You all need to grow all of your food!”. I am simply trying to share the things that we as a society do that are unsustainable, inconsiderate, and down right scary. What folks do with that information is not my business
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I am a new reader of your blog. I just really enjoy your it, and this post especially. Thank you.
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Shannon, it’s the Amish clothing, you know, that makes people say stuff;) Keep it up. I’ve been waiting for these posts you promised. Also why didn’t you show the house in the video? I was totally disappointed. You’re awesome…long time follower:)
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A resounding “AMEN!” from PA! Growing up on a full-time operating farm, with two farming grandfathers, I am thankful for what I was taught. However, I look back to all my Great Grandmother taught me, that my own mother did not know. Things I’m teaching myself today, like you. With each passing generation – entitlement is the new norm. Very sad. Keep up your great work. You keep me inspired for our goals of becoming self-sufficient AFTER debt is paid. Making strides in the meantime though.
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Hi Shannon,
I agree with much of what you write here. But, as with your whole journey, there’s a leap I don’t understand.
Can you explain in more detail the assertions you made after the phrase “what is civilized about…”?
These are quite dark statements – absolutist in their designation of The System as evil – and if true, do require radical rejection of these systems. Much as if, were my husband’s job dependent on and supportive of the Nazi regime, we would need to reject it and deal with the fallout, come what may.
Yet, I don’t know why I should think in these terms, or why you do. I don’t understand why we move from “live simply, be willing to work” to radical agrarianism.
I know you’re busy, but perhaps in a future post you can elaborate? Thanks, and peace.
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Shannon Reply:
January 16th, 2013 at 9:08 am
Annie,
Thanks for the comment. The term radical agrarianism is interesting and puts the way we would like to live into a box that is more easily dismissed. The truth, historically, is that the way you and I have lived most of our lives is radical. Your great great great great grandparents (and mine) wouldn’t recognize us. They would call you and I radical industrialists who gave up the land (and freedom they enjoyed) for money and comfort. The problem is that we live in an illusion. The things we “see” are not really what is. Major civilizations in history rose and fell following a similar pattern… the one we are now walking down.
But ask yourself if your great great great grandparents and all that came before them were radical? If you were to speak with them now and tell them exactly how our industrialized system of food, goods, and life run would they not respond with a resounding “What are you thinking?!” The process of transformation from normal and accepted agrarian life to what we have now was slow over several generations (the frog was boiled slowly so it wouldn’t jump out).
If you think about it, everything we’ve ever been told was “easier, and therefore better” we were told by someone wanting to sell something to us. “Buy crisco instead of lard!” they said and we could avoid butchering the pig. “Leave the farm and come work in the factory/city!” they said and we could outsource the doing of things for the necessities of life in exchange for a paycheck that would allow us to pay someone else to do them for us. All the while these things were not better for us physically (lack of physical labor) or spiritually (compromise and lack of separation from wickedness).
I’m not saying that you, or anyone else has to live like us or desire to live like us. I am telling you why I’m frustrated with nonsense that says historical ways of living are too radical. I’m also saying there are consequences. The 2nd part of this series I’m planning on posting will elaborate that there are consequences to this “quality of life” that so many are simply unaware of. I am not willing to accept those consequences because they are too costly to my family and future generations on so many levels. If returning to the old paths is radical, then sign me up.
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It seems that everybody who decides to live this way gets the same questions from people. Recently, our family has been under virtual public attack, we’ve been called lunatics, abusers, hypocrites. And all because we’re grateful and satisfied we have each other and the roof over our heads, food to eat and water to drink, cloths to wear.
That makes me angry, and sad.
Wonderful writing!
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I just stumbled on this article thanks to Michael Bunker. Very well said, and couldn’t agree more!
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If only more people could be content with necessities, and not be wrapped up in the materialistic society that is America. I really wish people would see the excess that they have, and the actual want others have.
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Bravo! Well said!!
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I Totally agree, we are a spoiled people with no real sense of a value filled life.
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Hi Katija,
I’m certainly not attacking you or Shannon, or your way of life. And I have many more questions than the one(s) I posed here, that have sprung up from following this blog, but mostly from my own life and thinking on these realities of my “hardships” vs. what most of humanity has faced.
My (overly simplified and tentative) conclusion is to strive to be grateful at all times for the comforts I have; and to live as simply and humbly as I can.
It is the apparent *mandate* that we should shirk toilets and washing machines and access to a grocery stores and the luxury of enough spare time to pursue interests that aren’t merely survival-based, if we are truly committed to following God.
So, is it a mandate? And if so, why?
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Shannon Reply:
January 16th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
Annie,
Again, I want to emphasize that I’m not declaring a mandate for you, but rather posing questions that have helped our family evaluate our lives and whether or not we need to make changes. Obviously that is also with the hope that it might help others as well. If you read this and you find that it means nothing to you, then that is fine. If you read it and it makes you consider a few things then that is fine too.
I will say, though, that it is clear to us in the scriptures that we as Christians are to work the land and live simply in accordance to God’s principles. So for US, it is something we feel obligated (mandated) to pursue. We would not be doing this if we weren’t convinced in our conscience that this is how Christians are to live. A much better article to read on the argument for agrarianism (from a biblical point of view) is this one:
http://www.lazarusunbound.com/uc9notes.shtml
and this one:
http://www.lazarusunbound.com/bunker_agrarianculture.shtml
A lot of these concepts are also mentioned in the book “Surviving Off Off-Grid” available on Amazon.com
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Amen. We’ve been blessed with so much abundance that we no longer appreciate it or where came from. I too have had the craziest looks and comments from people regarding my homemade clothing, my refusal of flu shots, and my disinterest in a retirement “plan”. I have had guests refuse to eat dinner because we raised the chicken ourselves. ???? I honestly believe that God has been preparing us to be leaders. A day will come soon when all the ‘entitled’ will be looking to you and I for help because suddenly they have nothing and no skills to survive. Remember to keep a loving heart!
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Bethany Reply:
April 9th, 2013 at 11:11 am
how interesting – we feel very similarly. I know I have always had a strong sense of preparing for future need, as if there will come a time when people will look towards us to teach them things like how to cook non-TV-dinners, raising vegetables, and other simple sustainability things.
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True, many Americans are spoiled. But not all. And not all of us WANT to be farmers or “live off grid” as you do. That does not make us entitled. My husband and I are both artists. We purchase (most of) our food from others, live in a house we did not build, drive a car and make a living making things other people buy, just cause they sound and look beautiful. And we know it is a gift. We are thankful for those who grow our food. It reminds me of something John Adams said “I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.” We have a close relationship with local farmers and craftsman and teach our children to understand the value of hard work as we work hard at what we do too. We teach them where our food and resources come from, and to be thankful for them. But we do it in a different way than you. I understand that your rant is directed at those who do not understand your way of life. I just hope the discouragement does not narrow your view, thus lumping ALL of us who live differently into that category.
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Shannon Reply:
January 16th, 2013 at 9:30 am
TLO – Yes, my point is not that wealth or having comforts is inherently wrong. My point is that we need to be honest in saying that the industrialized way we live today is the exception, and not the rule, historically. And that most people throughout history have lived this way both by choice and by necessity, because it both provided them with everything they needed and also provided them with a way of life that did not force them to be dependent on something or someone who did not hold the same values as they did.
Also, agrarianism does not necessarily mean that everyone in an agrarian society spends all of their time raising food. There have always been blacksmiths, doctors, etc. even in the pre-industrial times.
I simply want to point out that the industrialized way of living is incredibly costly in terms of being able to live by your own conscience, not having to do wicked things to retrieve the resources necessary for this quality of life, and not having to be indebted to outside entities to do so.
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I have been a long-time reader of the blog and enjoy it tremendously! I believe this posting takes a strong stand in the direction that many of us want to travel – thank you for being our voice. A few years ago my husband and I encountered circumstances that presented an opportunity for us to “re-think” our way of living. We chose to move forward towards living responsibly and with great awareness of how our choice effect our fellow man. We are moving in the direction of your current lifestyle each and every day. Many people (family, friends, local community in general) think we have flipped, or are odd, but at the end of the day, we can rest easy that we have made daily lifestyle choices that will not bring harm to others (in any way shape or form). There is a great freedom in living such a conscientious lifestyle. Sadly, it’s a freedom that very few of our critics will ever experience. Please keep the posts coming!!! Another reader from PA.!!
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Hi Shannon,
I hear you on the term radical, and used only because I don’t know how to frame your way of life. I certainly don’t mean to use it to then dismiss it.
I am guessing that a major hinge on your thinking is the issue with the rise and fall of past “civilizations”.
It’s the baby/bathwater issue that I hesitate on… Is it not possible to have the benefits of various technologies, without being sucked into the wickedness that, for instance, allows us to justify killing our own children, or the old or infirm – and celebrate it?
I also hesitate on what seems to me to be a narrow way of characterizing what our great great great grandparents woudl think of our way of life. Do we know that they really were so happy and satisfied with their way of life?
I don’t remember anywhere that you’ve said all should live your life… and yet… there is an urgency in your posts that suggests otehrwise, at least to some extent. And when you list toilets and washing machines as fruits of wickedness (if I read correctly?) how can I not take that as meaning we shoudl reject these technologies?
Thank you for your reply, and I very much look forward to your next post.
Annie
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Shannon Reply:
January 16th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Annie – I was washing laundry this morning and it gave me some time to think about your comments, all of them appreciated by the way.
You are right in that I’m not saying outright “you should live this life.” I believe that how we live our life declares how we believe people ought to live. But because I am writing out why we are, in reply to some questions/comments, and also to work things out in my own mind through writing, it becomes a public forum, which people can come or go as they please.
I also don’t believe that washing machines and toilets are the fruit of wickedness
. My point is that we will often times use those things without considering the idea that a.) there is a cost to having them and b.) most people have not had them throughout history, and therefore we can live without them.
But again, there are a couple more posts coming in this series and hopefully they will shed some more light on what it really is I am trying to communicate.
Thanks!
Shannon
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“Entitled” was thinking about that early this morning. Very interesting and thought provoking words. I took them as an expression if your heart and mind. Love the gratitude comments. So true. We are not as a whole grateful for the incredible riches we have.
I did enjoy reading a couple excellent comments on a different perspective than yours. Altogether I am grateful to have opened my e-mail and found your newsletter. It is rich in truth and helped me put my day on the right path with clear vision.
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Yes, there are many people in the world that take comforts for granted and do feel a sense of entitlement. But a lot of this has been handed down to them. They aren’t taught any different – other than poor countries exist with intolerable conditions and they are afraid of that. They cling to the conveniences of our modern industrialized civilization and it makes them feel prosperous.
Both of my grandparents grew up on a farm but did everything they could to embrace and live in modern America. White bread at the store meant prosperity. A new microwave was pure luxury. That is how I grew up. That is how millions of Americans grew up. to be angry is understandable, but at the same time it doesn’t help chance the consciousness.
Luckily many folks are seeing the devastation that is taking place to our environment and how large corporations with no thought except money are harming our families. They are waking up to the fact that their choices can make a huge difference in their lives and the lives of humanity as a whole.
I’m not angry any more. I see it as my job to live by example. Every little change I make for the betterment of my life and my environment is carried with me and touches everyone I meet in some way. We all must BE the change, BE the example, not the exception. As long as we all know to the depth of our being that we are doing the right thing, it will spread, expand and touch the world.
Everyone has their own pace and speed – some may catch on quickly, others may never catch on at all. But as long as we live in love, peace and harmony with our God, our fellow man and our planet then we are doing the right thing at the right time.
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Shannon Reply:
January 16th, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Rhonda,
I agree. Saying these things without the willingness to back them up with a change in your life means nothing. In the second part of this series I think my goal with the first part will become more clear, in fact I wrote part 2 before part 1. And I should probably clarify that I am not angry at anyone, but more angry at the situation and the often unwillingness to address things with honesty.
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[...] http://www.nourishingdays.com/2013/01/you-can-take-your-quality-of-life-and-stick-it-on-perspective-… [...]
Wow! I am printing this and forwarding this! Thank you so much for for sharing! Praise God!!!
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Hello Shannon,
I was just going to leave you a comment to tell you that I have stumbled across your blog and am enjoying reading through it immensely. This post was a wonderful reminder for me, and I wanted to thank you for it. I was surprised to read through the comments and see how stirred up people are!
I live in Australia, about 2 miles or so from the heart of a large regional city of 250,000. We keep chooks and bees and grow what we can, and live as simply as we can live with.
I feel truly blessed that my family lives in a country where we have never known war on home soil, that we have enough to eat and a roof over our heads, and the choice to live how we would like.
Thank you so much for posting about such interesting things such as lacto-fermentation. I have Nourishing Traditions, but haven’t been quite game to take the leap to try them, sticking with the usual preserves and chutneys etc,. I am also eyeing off your pancake recipes, we have been experimenting with grain-free here and pancakes are a big favourite at our house.
Kind Regards,
Michelle.
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Guessing this was the post you waffled on huh? I can see why. Even 150 years ago there were shopkeepers and businessmen. I certainly don’t think God intended for us to all be farmers.
Sorry for the long reply above. It gets my Irish up when people assume there is only one way to do things or that their way is the way God intended. Unless He emailed you himself you do the best you are able and set an example.
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BRAVO ! MAGNIFICENT INTELLECT ! God Love You Shannon
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[...] at Nourishing Days wrote an excellent post this week called You Can Take Your Quality of Life and Stick It. Its well worth reading and should be shared far and wide. Here are a few of my favorite [...]
Hi, Shannon: Good food for thought. Do you have any suggestions for other resources on this topic that aren’t by Michael Bunker? Thanks again for the thoughtful post.
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Shannon Reply:
January 17th, 2013 at 8:30 am
Hi Cindy,
Herrick Kimball has some great resources on his site on the topic. You might glean some good information from some of them for some other perspectives:
http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.com/2008/01/deliberate-agrarian-archives-christian.html
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I agree with everything you’ve written here and love this the most:
“What is civilized about a people who will verbally protest against the entities who “take their rights, their money, and their religion” away, but aren’t willing to give up a few comforts in order to stop being dependent on those very entities to live?”
There are few blogs like yours. Sure there are homesteading blogs, but I had to stop reading most because the saccharine sweetness and constant inauthentic sponsorships turned me off. I’m sure you alienate people with your honesty (which I love). But you are authentic, and that is so freaking difficult to do on a blog. Keep writing, please.
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Just wanted to add after reading the comments above that I didn’t get any impression of this post other than “this is my opinion.” Obviously with your references to toilet paper, having civilization nearby plus an Internet connection and computer, you are not trying to say we all need to go live like cavemen and if we don’t, then we’re sinners or not following God’s will (I definitely would have noticed those themes; I’m an atheist and am overly sensitive to those lines of thought). I took this as “We all need to live more intentionally, in any way we can.”
I’ve noticed online that some people tend to think if you are a “back to the land” type, that you are trying to drive society “backwards.” I don’t see living intentionally as going backwards. I think we can keep many conveniences of modern life, combine them with the habits and arts of our ancestors, fix the planet, sustain our species, and move forward. That’s what I gleaned from your post here. I think this all comes down to the “Live simply so others may simply live” meme. We as Americans do not have a God-given right (though I hear this all the time here in Texas) to have the run of other countries or as much oil as we want. We are not a superior country any more than humans are a more superior species. I always think of the fact that if everyone lived like the average American, the planet and us with it could not survive. That is what is leading me down a slow path toward a more intentional life. There’s my 18 cents. Sorry for the novel!
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I appreciate the perspective this post brings but believe it’s real easy to worship a way of life. Really, it doesn’t matter how much you do or don’t have but what’s in your heart and who you choose to serve. My family is blessed beyond measure with both spiritual and physical treasures. We are learning to live more sustainably and debt free. But at the end of the day what makes us successful /”civilized” is how much we loved God and others, not how much stuff we have. I totally agree that most everyone has more than they need but I don’t think putting off those things for moral value makes us any better of a human being. The Bible is clear that you will serve something. There’s no absolute freedom. But my family will be found serving God, loving others, and being joyful/content no matter how much or little we have. After all, life isn’t about the stuff “in the box” ..it’s so much bigger than that.
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Shannon Reply:
January 17th, 2013 at 6:36 pm
Janae – I agree with you, from the standpoint that anyone can make an idol out of a way of life. One of the reasons we have chosen to move from industrialism to agrarianism is that we saw idols in the modern system, and in our own lives.
Our hope is to be solely reliant on God for our provisions. You can not see that or experience His providence in such a direct form if you are not working the ground to bring forth fruit, as He commands. The modern industrial system separates us from our reliance on Him through those comforts and ease and separation from the land.
And I believe it is easy to be blinded to that when your life is too comfortable. Much of what I now voice concern over in the modern life are things I had my whole life and never really knew the cost of, which is what I will be getting to in the other parts of this series.
Thank you for your comment!
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Thanks for this post! I found you through a friend on facebook, and can see there are a LOT of posts that I’d love to sit and read…. It is amazing what a person can realize is a luxury, instead of something that is NEEDED. I am learning daily what that is, concidering the fact that my husband is out of work and looking for work, and we have a family of five that we need to provide for on a little plot of land in a suburb. Where we CAN’T have chickens but can have a garden and however many fruit trees that we can have room for on the property. Now if only the city would let us grow gardens all over instead of lawns… but that would be “malicious landscaping” grrr… no it’s called PROVIDING FOR YOUR FAMILY!
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Shannon I commend you on being so honest. I don’t think that the way we are living is how we “should” live but it is what is working best for us. We are thrilled beyond belief to have our land. With the government becoming Socialist leaning we absolutely believe that everyone should prepare for the worst. I can’t wait to get our garden in and plant those fruit trees.
Today I made sourdough, bone broth and kombucha (cannot live without that stuff!) and turned down a free offer for a flu shot (not if your paid me).
You are definitely going to get flack for this post which is why I admire you for publishing it. You are definitely what most would consider “extreme” and I say that not unkindly but in all honesty. Most of us will not move to Texas–without air-conditioning LOL, sew simple clothing, live in a temporary cabin, quit our jobs, etc. You are a modern pioneer and I would love to have you as a neighbor.
We are paying down our debts very quickly as we believe bondage is a horrid thing.
Hats off to you Shannon!
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This is a wonderful post! I love your powerful writing and look forward to part 1.
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Hi Shannon,
Regarding your comment “Saying these things without the willingness to back them up with a change in your life means nothing.”, I completely agree. But I don’t really find that to be the case with the people I meet – do you? the people I meet seem to fall into 3 categories 1-Living completely free of industrialized America, 2-Stiving to live free of it and making changes as they can, and 3-Not willing to change at all.
It helps me to realize that our past generations created this way of life. the Well Fed Homestead blog just did an article entitled “The Great Loss of American Agricultural Communities”. It stated that “There was a time when people took pride in their farm house and their land. They built it up–gates, fences, storage, watering systems, etc.,–knowing that it was going to be passed to future generations. World War II came and destroyed the lives of so many (including 150,000 people in an agricultural community in Okinawa). Tractors came, and most of the farmers bought them. Women went to work and became heads of their households while the men were away. When the men came back, they weren’t needed anymore. Their wives were running the household. The tractors, with minimal effort, could work the land. A lot of the men left their farms and went away to work. The children of these World War II vets (and others around that time period) lost the love that their parents and grandparents had for farming. They were the first generation to entirely abandon the farm and the agricultural communities around them.”
Our nation, over many generations, strives for More, Easier, Convenient, Faster, Better. I see it all as fear based. When money came into the picture (purely a man-made invention) the consciousness shifted. An belief in scarcity began being programmed into us. That is also fear based and man-made. If we can see it for what it is, Fear, then we can live by example and show that there is nothing to fear and so much to gain by becoming self sufficient and breaking free from the Money Game, Scarcity Beliefs and the need for More, Better, Faster, etc.
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Shannon Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 8:43 pm
Rhonda,
I would agree with your assessment of the three categories. I know no one who is currently “completely free of industrialized America”, at least not in the agrarian circles I run in.
I think it’s one thing to be moving towards an agrarian way of life and being mindful of the path on which you get there, as in the intermediate means discussed in Friday’s post. It’s a whole other thing to completely deny historical and Biblical facts simply because we’d rather put our fingers in our ears yelling lalala and go on living blindly.
I wonder if people have read into this post more than I actually say because we, ourselves, are still very reliant on grocery stores for our food because we are just starting down this path. I never once said it was all or nothing and it has to be today, all I’m asking for is an honest discussion of the facts. I think it’s trajectory we need to evaluate rather than a specific end result that may get here sooner or later, depending on one’s circumstances.
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PS – The article on The Well Fed Homestead can be read here
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wellfedhomestead/~3/uoQ0NUFXRIU/the-great-loss-of-american-agricultural-communitie?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email
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Hello Shannon,
The comments above that have the most defensive tone are simply those who are are having their consciences singed most, as Mr Bunker would put it. And collectively, when viewed after reading your post, the comments simply illustrate a divide- not just in worldview- but in the ABILITY to think beyond ones’ own upbringing and experiences. The things you write about , and the conclusions drawn, cannot be experienced or reached via any other means apart from living how you live. This is why the majority of the comments, the ones that aren’t defensive, will always be coming from the “great to see ya; never gonna be ya” point of view.
They hear the truth in what you say, but the love of the world is made very apparent in the tone and content of their replies to your post.
Thankyou for your insights and inspiration, and may God continue to reward you and your family for your obedience.
(I know you touched on the subject of obedience in your post, and that this way of life is mandated, not suggested as an option or preference……perhaps this lies at the heart of the rejections, poor compromises, and token efforts, that make up most peoples’ responses when it is pointed out that how they live their lives is an historical anomaly?)
I hope this finds you well,
Justin
Western Australia
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Shannon- I happened upon your blog by following a link on Pinterest…and I am so happy I did. I so much admire your writing and the straightforward truth as you present it. I’ve read a few of the comments left and agree that it would be hard to give up some of the luxuries we Americans take for granted. I totally agree with your statement “Because the only thing I can think of that could be worse than a people who think they need this quality of life is a people who think they deserve this quality of life.” Most people expect these things to be provided for them- and refuse to believe that one day they won’t be there. We all need to take the matter of self reliance seriously. To not do so is complete stupidity on our parts. Will look forward to reading more of your articles.
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