Sunday, July 23, 2023

Revolutionary behavior

We're experiencing hot weather here – no surprise, it's July – but in the mornings when it's cool, Don is hard at work building more garden beds.

Currently we have ten beds in place and ready to plant, though they'll stay dormant until later this summer or early fall when I'll transplant some of the strawberries I'm potting from runners, as well as plant garlic. By next spring, however, we'll be able to start growing a whole lot more. Little by little, we're moving toward self-sufficiency here in our new (to us) home.

But rather than talk about the garden or planting garlic or potting strawberries at the moment, let's take a look at a wider issue: the desire for independence. Ultimately that's why we like having a self-sufficient farm, because we like the feeling of providing for our needs with our own labor.

And this segues into a piece written by Daisy Luther on The Organic Prepper from July 4: "Independence Is Still a Revolutionary Act."

She talks about the need to become producers, not consumers. She discusses what happens when we depend on others for our food, water, utilities, education, medical care, and other necessities.

This can only be taken so far – I doubt we'll ever be "independent" when it comes to something like brain surgery – but we've tried (or are trying) to embrace many of our necessities and bring them under our control.

More importantly, we see the handwriting on the wall when it comes to a loss of true Rights (derived from God) and an enormously unconstitutional government doing everything in its power to eradicate the limitations outlined in the Constitution and trample the Bill of Rights.

"Somehow, this land of rugged individuals has become largely populated with scared children who expect to be cared for, fed, protected, and made to feel good about themselves, all by government mandate," Daisy writes. "Many people seem to have no desire whatsoever to earn their keep, provide for their families, or take responsibility for their own safety. They expect the workplace to be one of sunshine and lollipops, with ample time off, equal pay for all, and., don’t forget, yoga with baby goats and lots of kind words for everyone. Our culture is just so incredibly dependent. And to some extent, we, the rugged independents who are left, have let this happen because the dependents are louder than us."

It's not just that dependent people are louder, it's also easier to follow the path of least resistance. Let's face it, independence is hard work. Dependency is easy.

And then Daisy wrote something very interesting:

"The most important thing is to begin to recognize the chains that are on you so that you can begin, link by link, to break them. How do you break free of the life that nearly every single person around you lives? It’s simple, yet so complicated. Here it is, the ultimate act of revolution. It is so very simple. You have to need less. When you need less, you have less to fear."

This reminds me of an anecdote from the stoic Greek philosopher Diogenes (412-323 BC) I read in "The Little, Brown book of Anecdotes": "By assiduous flattery, the hedonistic philosopher Aristippus had won himself a comfortable sinecure at the court of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse. One day, observing Diogenes preparing some lentils for a meager meal, Aristippus offered some worldly wisdom to his fellow sage: 'If you would only learn to compliment Dionysius, you wouldn't have to live on lentils.' Diogenes retorted, 'And if you would only learn to live on lentils, you wouldn't have to flatter Dionysius.'"

Thoreau said it more succinctly: "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone."

So I see this whole issue of independence as a two-pronged approach: Learning to produce more, and living on less.

"Real liberty is up to you," Daisy writes. "Use it or lose it."

Apparently this is "revolutionary behavior." What do you think?

21 comments:

  1. I read your site and admire everything you and Don have accomplished. However, after reading, it leaves me feeling very inadequate and a little depressed. I'm 70 yrs old and wish I knew 50 years ago what I'm learning now. I missed the boat!

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    1. I'm 70 too. The difference in health between 50 and 60 seemed bigger than other decades, but at 70, much is simply not doable. You couldn't have told me when I was 60. I wouldn't have listened.
      It's not easy because it Is depressing. But there is joy in just getting up and doing what's possible, and that does add up in increments.
      Having to downsize is next on the horizon for me.

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  2. “Children; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. They no longer rise when elders enter the room, they contradict their parents and tyrannize their teachers. Children are now tyrants.” Quote from Socrates. In other words, older people always complain about the younger generation. Sorry, Daisy, you are wrong.

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    1. "Older people always complaining..." Really?!?!

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    2. Oh Krab. Don’t ever change. :)

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    3. Your comment seems like a non sequitur to me. It doesn’t connect with the article.

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    4. "Older people always complain about the younger generation"
      Yes, this is true and it's also true that, in general, the older generation is correct in their assessment.
      The younger generations HAVE grown successively ill-mannered, contemptuous of authority and tyrannical. This is why we now have "furries" demanding litter boxes in the bathrooms and Greta Thunberg with her nasty "How dare you?" (Anyone else notice how she looks a little like Chuckie? Lol.) This is why we have poor young boys willing to castrate and mutilate their bodies in an attempt to look like the opposite sex. In short, if children are so resilient, where did all these messed up adults come from?

      History is linear and we are moving towards the destruction and recreation of the new heavens and the new earth. Our only hope is the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are not looking to Him to be your hiding place, you're heading for destruction.

      How do we behave in a crumbling republic? The same way we behave in a thriving republic: With faithfulness to Christ and our eyes firmly fixed on Him. You can know Him through the Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to help and He will!

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    5. Love you Krab!

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    6. Er, furries can "demand" litter boxes in bathrooms all they like. There's always a lunatic fringe. No one is giving it to them, so cool your jets and stop complaining about the younger generation. Yes, yes, of course, this generation is MUCH worse than the thousands of years since Socrates (eyeroll). Maybe learn some history from an accredited source, not World Nut Daily?

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    7. Socrates is right, we are rebels from birth. There is nothing new under the sun.

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    8. My co-worker's kids' school put a litter box in the bathrooms.

      Schools are putting tampon dispensers in the boys' bathrooms. https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/crowd-protests-tampon-machine-in-suburban-schools-boys-bathroom/

      The insanity will get as bad as we let it.
      Just sayin!

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  3. Living simply, needing less, being as self-reliant as possible, reducing waste, being productive - all these things contribute to a contentment, happiness and sense of peace you just can't get running the rat race and keeping up with the Joneses.
    It's a point of personal pride when I repair an appliance rather than spending hundreds of dollars to replace it, when I walk into my pantry or open my freezer to fix dinner rather than running into town to the store, knowing I can hunt or fish or grow food to feed myself, knowing I can defend myself in most any circumstances. If that makes me a revolutionary, so be it. Younger generations don't seem too interested in developing any useful skills or independence and I've wondered a lot this past 10-15 years if there's any connection between this lack of self-sufficiency and the increase in mental health issues in younger generations.

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    1. This younger generation lives at a much different time that we did at their age. If anything, it's the times they're growing up in with massive tech growth adding to the confusion of having parents born in the rock out generation.
      Criticism is not going to attract them to a better way. Once they hit legal age they want to bust out and make their own way and it will take time to truly become adults. Quite a few do want to become self reliant and make strides toward it.

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    2. That wasn't intended as criticism, merely my own observations, what I see day in and day out - in the community I live and work in, with my own adult children and the adult children of friends. I do try to encourage and offer insight when there are opportunities to do so, but it usually falls on deaf ears.
      In my experience in recent years, those "quite a few" you mention are the exception rather than the rule. It IS encouraging though when I see younger folks working hard to accomplish productive goals! :)

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  4. I'm curious what the side panel material is that Don's using?

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    1. Sheet-metal siding. The previous owners left behind a huge stack of it.

      - Patrice

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  5. After actually reading Daisy's article, I don't really see much about children being said.
    And that quote about dependents being louder than independents I have some disagreement with. Independent voices are censored in every possible way to keep them from being heard. They are there, but if you hear one in the news it's been edited to something entirely different than what was said. If you're interested you can chase down what was said on YouTube or somewhere, but it gets tedious. It's why the only part of news that interests me is mostly weather.
    To hear independent voices, go to church. Listen to those folks.

    And that thing about getting rid of chains? Property taxes and vehicle fees and all that kind of stuff isn't going away unless you own nothing. Government is God ordained and necessary for order to exist.
    Whether it's right or wrong, legal or illegal , it is prudent to be careful of words you say or things you do. Sometimes it's better to fight another day or another way.
    I think it was Alfred Lord Tennyson that said " More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of ".
    I depend on my Savior Jesus Christ more and more every day. I want to speak of Him at every opportunity because in Him there is hope and life more abundant. I don't see any other real solutions to human controversy. Gardening and caring for critters is a joy unspeakable because it makes me feel close to my Creator.
    Daisy leaves me uninspired.

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  6. I'm curious about how Don's going to set up those boxes. Is he going to set them into the slope so the top is flat instead of sloping with the hill? And will they have bottoms?

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  7. I wonder to what extent algorithms embedded in social media, television, music, and God knows what else is affecting things we do or don't do. Mind control mess is causing a lot of what could be considered insane behavior.

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  8. Curious to the specifications of the garden beds you are building and what materials you use to make them.

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