New England in the new millennium is falling short of its rich tradition, history, organic nature, and overall aura of its hospitality, in the interest of sociology and economy. One may think it necessary to prop up new foundations which in turn are new houses for new families seeking shelter for their new phase in their lives, when in reality a man who does not build his own home is no man at all. In the midst of the hectic, staggering, evil society in which we live perhaps it is hard for a man to drop everything and devote 4 months of his season to constructing a dwelling of sorts for his lady and/or however many children he may have, but in what way is this “new”, current-day society more convenient, than the horse-and-buggy days of yore?The motorized carriages we drive around in day and night are not only responsible for thousands of deaths per year but also exploit the true beauty of the planet and turn humans into agitated, nasty people. The burning of fossil fuels is undoubtedly damaging our atmosphere, and fear that one day it will become too harsh for us to live makes me believe there is much to be done about the condition of our society. The need for so much, is unneeded. The modern man recognizes and learns his human history and the first instinct is to move forward, and build up and up. Not only does he need a car, but he also needs it to have navigation system, mp3 accessibility, foglights, moonroof, sunroof, touch-screen technology, heated seats, A.C., motorized seats, telephone, not to mention all the things needed for safety: lights, brakes, blinkers, washer fluid, windshield wipers. Why does he need all this? Because of our economy, government, and workforce system.
If the man didn’t have to pay money to have a plot of land, he wouldn’t need a job. The only reason he really has the car, is to get to work, because only an odd couple of individuals have the convenience of walking to work. But work isn’t what it used to be. Work used to be as much as keeping up your home, building something you need, or hunting. Basic modes of survival. Now work is something entirely new and different; it is now only a means to accumulate money/currency/credit.
Money for food! You fool; you can grow and prepare your own food! You don’t need to go to a broker to get food, my god it is an absolute no-brainer. Does it not seem sensible to raise your child to know how to plant, maintain, and harvest fruits and vegetables? Or to skin an animal and drain it of its fluids? It is the nature of life, to eat other life, with the additional resources that come from the earth. If the food will be priced, price it with generosity and care, so everyone can buy it. And if they cannot, and it is merely a fruit or vegetable, then they should be given it, because it’s nor mine nor yours, nor his, nor hers, it is Earth’s.
The food that we require can be found in all places around us. And if there are no resources there, you can put them there, given the soil and climate are forgiving. This is all not to say I want to abolish food markets and merchants (I am grateful for the merchants who provide the freshest citrus fruits and hearty vegetables available, but are small and humble enough not to put a name and lengthy price on natural organics). Oh, would it not be so bad to trade a man something for his fruit? Perhaps a stopwatch, or a gram of herb? In exchange for 10 oranges, could I not give him a solid pair of shoes? I would rather us all pass along our possessions, aids, and collectables amongst each other rather than encounter a bump in the road and have to “pay” a certain amount of “money” to obtain it. It is all very senseless, disturbing, and degrading to our earth and ourselves.
And we have no sense of respect for each other or the environment. After 9/11, Carlin once said that he thought it disturbing that it took a national disaster for us to care about one another, and only for maybe that one month, maybe the one after. What I find most people lack in a social situation is the ability to appreciate another person’s existence. They do not just acknowledge the person’s existence, they appreciate it, like happy to see another person given the gift of life. With that perspective in tact, the person automatically cares for the other person. The problem with even trying this technique is that because our society and all our domestic images are built on higher standards of living, those who cannot get up to par become internally frustrated, angry, vulnerable, and sometimes very annoying or even dangerous. It’s hard to feel comfortable around these people I imagine.
If only there were more people impartial to everyone, not so much like a robot, but more like a devotee of peace; then maybe anyone feeling slighted and dismayed may find hope in the faith and confidence that they provide. The government, the game, the machine that we’re all part of is what makes you crazy. Even once we claim to step away or “take a vacation” from it, usually we’re still in the same reality with all the same “comforts” and attributes of our usual routines.
The only people that should annoy and bug you are the people who are behind the hoax they call a “nation” or a “country”. The people that think a dollar is needed to “even everything out”. The people that think they can tell you what to do, and what you can’t do. A man is capable of learning from his own mistakes and if he doesn’t, he is destined for a hard road, or death, so rules and regulations will only lead to rebellion.
I demand a revolt; I demand justice. Whatever happened to the hunter-gatherers? Too much work to gather your own food? In my eyes, you are not a man. You are still depending on “mommy” for food, in a way, by going to the grocery store and buying things you need. The fact is that you can grow a year’s supply of food for yourself on about three acres of land. So, why not organize a stepping-stone plan for buying some land? A person on Wall Street makes six figures a year; if they lowered their living demands and saved half of that for three years, they’d have enough money to buy a few acres and start that lifestyle. Alternatively, a normal everyday home owner with a “backyard” could very easily get over the idea of having a “fresh-cut lawn”, and convert it into a garden that could feed him adequately with proper care.
Next comes shelter. Recycled lumber and building materials are just around the corner from you if you just go out and look. Talk to the demolition companies, construction companies and contractors, and see if you can swoon some recycled wood from them. If you offer to come pick it up, they may not even charge you. With this step, you should start gathering wood to building your own house. This is not for most people. If you want to have a house built for you on your land, it’s going to cost money. If you choose to go my way and build your own, educate yourself with books and start with the living area first (wood stove, somewhere to sit and lay down), and then build the house around that.
As for energy, it’s easier to simplify our lives than to install fifty solar panels to accommodate our electronic dependency. As cool as these new phones, gizmos and gadgets seem nowadays, in the end they really don’t hold water to what truly matters: survival and independence. Don’t you want that? As an American, don’t you value your freedom, independence and privacy? Tapping into these vast networks of society doesn’t make you very independent. Turn off the television, get a contract phone, and simplify. And don’t even think about selling your energy back to the cable company. It’s a hidden bribe to keep you locked into the grid. Use batteries to store excess energy instead. And don’t forget about wind turbines, either.
Heat and water. Heat comes from the easiest concept possible: fire. Use fire for your heat if possible, by using a wood stove, with optional ventilation to disperse the heat through your home. Alternatively, you can build a shed with polycarbonate windows, that heats up a tank of water from the sun shine, and pipes it into your house under the floors, where your they will stay warm and emit rising heat into the rest of the house. The other alternative is to use extra clothes and blankets to keep warm, or to choose to live in a warmer, southern climate.
Water is another no-brainer. The majority of new water comes from the sky, in the form of rain. So, why not build a drainage system that pipes all this lovely rainwater into a storage tank, in which you can fully use every day? You can use this rainy “gray-water” to wash your clothes, flush your toilet, and other uses that don’t involve ingestion. You can also filter the rain water out with many new filtration systems available these days, so you can drink and cook with the water. Granted they’re expensive, but it will allow you independence with water and will keep you off of the grid.
Then there’s the garden, you’re means of survival. It’ll need to be a big garden if you’re going to sustain yourself. An acre alone can accommodate a few months worth of food, but you’re going to need to educate yourself on natural food preservation if you’re going to want to eat all of it. Educate yourself on the benefits of plants, herbs and food, and figure out what you’ll want to eat, so you can grow it. If you like meat, you may consider raising your own animals and then paying a butcher to slaughter them for you. Perhaps you may even sacrifice your meat diet to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle where you can grow all your own food and eat it, too. Do everything by hand. There is no need for tractors and farm machines if you’re just supporting yourself. I’m telling you, it’s all easier than it seems, but it will be a full-time job keeping your garden up, so you can enjoy a plentiful harvest and work on preserving them for the future months.
It’s a change in lifestyle, for sure. But this is what it’s going to take to slow things down in this country; it’s completely necessary. There’s no need to keep skyrocketing toward technological peak, coming out with all of these gadgets to keep us distracted from actually forming a revolution in America. Remember, America was founded on Revolution; there would be no country without it. Now more than ever, we need another American Revolution, where we say “no” to full-time jobs, “no” to transportation, “no” to 401K plans, “no” to primetime television, and “no” to credit cards. Say “yes” to freedom, “yes” to independence, and “yes” to sustainable farming.
But what will I do about money, you say? Don’t I need a job?
Get your mind off of money. In this lifestyle, all you’ve got to worry about is your farm.
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