Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

This is part of Chapter 17 in my book:

Country folks are often poor but proud. Poor, that is, by urban definition. 
It will not do to push them or talk down to them. Restrain yourself from 
telling them how “we did it back in Metropolis.” They get all they want of 
Metropolis on television. And you did leave Metropolis for good reasons. If 
you are very lucky, one of the natives will take a liking to you. Most 
old-timers are proud of what they know and will share hard-won knowledge with 
someone who really listens. Listen carefully and you may avoid painful and 
costly mistakes. Give respect and you will be respected.

As for advancing your well-researched, well-thought-out, perfectly logical, 
totally irrefutable solutions for saving the natural world from destruction 
by ignorant and greedy people, keep them to yourself—or write a book. Show 
what you believe by how you conduct yourself. If it makes sense to the 
natives, why, in 20 or 30 years some of them may begin to follow your 
example. You will be there in 30 years, won’t you? They will.

"A community identifies itself
by an understood mutuality of interests.
But it lives and acts by the common virtues of trust,
goodwill, forbearance, self-restraint, compassion, and forgiveness.
If it hopes to continue long as a community, it will wish to and will have to—
encourage respect for all its members, human and natural.
It will encourage respect for all stations and occupations.
Such a community has the power—not invariably but as a rule—
to enforce decency without litigation.
It has the power, that is, to influence behavior.
And it exercises this power not by coercion or violence
but by teaching the young and by preserving stories and songs
that tell (among other things)
what works and what does not work in a given place."
Wendell Berry 

On Jul 4, 2013, at 7:55 AM, Robert Walton wrote:

> I grew up rural, lived most of my adult life until my 40s in urban areas.
> When I first moved back to the country, one of the first things that struck
> me was the lack of anonymity. Good advice to those who are planning a move
> to rural America is to consider this.
> 
> Things that no-one batted an eye at in the city are blatantly obvious. It's
> really a good thing, but not so good for someone that's slow to pay,
> bounces checks, etc.
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jul 3, 2013 at 2:35 PM, Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
>> On 7/2/2013 8:26 PM, Robert Walton wrote:
>>> Fast it goes. Glad to hear it. Especially liked the story about how
>>> everyone knows and has a connection with everyone. Same way here.
>> 
>> Everyone knows everyone and word gets around fast.  I have been on the
>> spot in paying people, when they ask for a check I write one. But today
>> I expected to pay for a couple loads of gravel and the lumber.  Both
>> said "whenever", they did not all the information.  I guess word has
>> gotten around I am good for it so they are in no hurry.
>> 
>> --
>> Don Bowen           AD0BR
>> "A man must keep a little back shop where he can be himself without
>> reserve. In solitude alone can he know true freedom."
>> -Michel De Montaigne 1588
>> http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Homestead list and subscription:
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead
>> Change your homestead list member options:
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/homestead/waltonrp%40gmail.com
>> View the archives at:
>> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead
>> 
>> 
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> Homestead list and subscription:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead
> Change your homestead list member options:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/homestead/genegerue%40ruralize.com
> View the archives at:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead
> 
> 
>