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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] American manufacturing
  • Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:02:56 EDT



> Ignorance is bliss?

Read more carefully. A lack of desire for something does not require someone
to be ignorant of it. I have no desire whatever for a Hummer, that doesn't
mean I don't know what one is.


>The scenario occurs when the kids go see the

> bright lights. How many come back happy to live a homestead life?

The ones who do not come back happy to live on the homestead are probably
precisely the ones that weren't happy to begin with. The problem isn't
homestead
or not, it's happy or not.

I have (or had, most are dead now) relatives who cringed in horror at our
lifestyle of modesty and physical work. None of these people were
themselves
happy. Their MO was this: "I've pushed to have a new car, big house,
country
club membership, etc. and I'm not happy. I keep pushing harder and I'm still
no happier, although I hold as a religious tenet that this is where happiness
lies, or at least the avoidance of unhappiness. So since I have all this
stuff and I'm not particularly happy, you must be miserable beyond all
measure!"

This same relative used to take the children when they were small to a
ridiculously expensive clothing store and buy them one oufit that cost enough
to
clothe them for two years. Like some kind of odd addict, it seemed that she
got
some temporary relief from hemoraging money for a moment. Us? We come out
of
the used clothing store with the next year's clothing and cackle with glee
saying "Ha! Look what we got for $30."

So it's not a matter of ignorance, it's a matter of orientation.


>And > even to do as you have done requires a certain amount of money for
> land, vehicle, tools, well, septic, electric, building materials,
> taxes. I presume you earned wages to get those dollars.

''Wages' meaning monetary income, yes. But not actual wages per se, I've
been self-employed for just about forever.

Again, though, it's a matter of orientation, one's relationship with money.
I would never let myself live hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck, as it
were.
If that threatened, I lowered my standard of living to meet my income. I'd
have lived in the woods in a tent if need be. This proclivity has proven
though the years to be like a barb that only goes in one way, a knot tied in
one's
rope of days. The advantage of retreating from the financial ragged edge
accumulates like a snowball.

Now by any standards, I live in poverty. Utter abject many tiers below the
official poverty evel dirt poor. Yet, we've got plenty of everything we
need,
including money.

The difference, I think, is this: Yes, I've had to earn money for land,
septic tank, tools, taxes, insurance, internet, and even salt and tea. And
chocolate. Don't get trapped on a remote homested with a woman and have no
chocolate on hand (shudder). But I've never given in to selling my soul for
filthy
lucre. Tomorrow morning I don't have to get in the vehicle and drive 25
miles
in order to meet this months bills. I may bestir myself to earn some money
this month, then again, I might not. I might take that gig riding herd on
the
dentist's computer system, but then again, I might not. I hope you can see
that
my orientation toward money is a lot different than what the words "have to
have money" imply.

For example, the past couple of months I designed (or refined the design) on
one of the things I make. I've got six under constrution, the first one pays
for all the materials, new tools, and also happens to cover the property
taxes
and house insurance for the year. The other five? Dunno. Put some away.
Maybe get that milling machine for the metal parts. Chocolate, definately
get
some more chocolate.

But I'm not waiting with bated breath hoping I will meet the month's bills.
And all this, says I - this is my story - because I was able to look the
bright lights square on and say, I don't desire it.

By the bye, which thing see that I just redesigned and made:

www.geocities.com/one7thfarme/harptree.jpg </HTML>




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