Do you know what the wealthiest and the poorest of this country have in common? They are all dependent upon the same food and fuel distribution system.
In my ebook “Paradigm Shift: The Case for Sustainable Living“, I share some pretty personal details of my life. I feel they are important to discuss as I build my case for a more independent lifestyle.
As a young widow at age 26 years old, life had thrown me a curve ball that I couldn’t have anticipated. I was left with a 2 year-old daughter to raise alone, and also found it necessary to make a career change in order to have more flexibility in my new “single mom” schedule.
From my uneducated attempts to heat my house with an inefficient fireplace and “green wood” (along with lighter fluid!) to save money, to wondering how to grow a garden for food, my thoughts were already spinning in the direction of sustainability, I just didn’t realize it. I also had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was just trying to “make it” every month.
“Poverty is a great motivator” I often said during that time.
“Necessity is the mother of invention”
is another favorite quote of mine. When the chips are down, I find that we dig into the deepest corners of our creativity for answers. It was during these years that the “itch” for independence began in me, yet it would be years, actually decades before it came to fruition.
Years later, I married the most wonderful man on this planet. Today, we’ve been married over 20 years! I could have never predicted the path life has taken us, that’s for sure.
Today, we can pay the heat bills and grocery bills without too much difficulty. But do you know what? That’s a mute point. There’s a greater issue at hand.
We’re still dependent upon someone else to provide these things.
Having or not having the money to pay for food, heat and water isn’t the problem, as we often think it is. Dependence upon the system is the issue at hand. We’re talking about the difference between being a consumer and a producer.
And here’s my point.…it doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you make (or don’t make).
You are just as dependent upon the grocery store for food as the millionaires are.
There is no difference between the rich and poor, (other than perhaps where they shop) unless they are able to grow/create for their own very basic needs.
The poorest farmer is rich when he knows how to grow food and build shelter to sustain himself. The millionaire becomes poor when the grocery store is closed.
Rich or poor, humanity shares the same basic needs: food, water, shelter and clothing.
How many of these things are you able to “produce” for yourself?
If you’re like most people, not many. That’s the norm for this culture. We consume rather than produce. Which brings me to another point:
Who, then, is in control of your life?
You might make great money, but unless someone is willing to sell you what you need, you’re out of luck. Someone else is in control of your comfort and well-being.
These are hard words to hear, especially for Americans. Most choose not to believe that they may one day be faced with nothing to buy. But just ask anyone who lived through The Great Depression….
Nonetheless, understanding that the “middle man” of utilities and fuel distribution are in control of most American’s health and comfort is the truth. Coming to terms with the fact that how much money you make will never completely insure your domestic tranquility.
In this lies my “Case for Sustainable Living”.
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About kmorris
Very deep. I was really into this for a while, but life gets in the way you know. We had someone come out from the Red Cross and talk to our church. She talked for about an hour about their volunteer needs. At the end she said, the biggest thing you can do to help the Red Cross in times of disaster?
Is just be prepared for your family. That will help us conserve and be effective…
Hm….never really thought of it that way….good points!
Kelly,
This is a great post and you make such an important point. Most people in this country seem to not realize this. Worse, many who do understand what you are saying here don’t believe that it can ever change. Even when faced with a natural disaster like a hurricane when they see gas stations run out of gas and grocery store shelves empty, they still can’t admit that it could ever happen for more than just a few days. I hope you ebook will raise awareness.
Tony
Very thought provoking, Kelly. You have inspired me to take our sustainability to the next level, increasing our garden and raising meat birds. And, our 2 married daughters are inspired to step it up, also. Thanks for the many ideas and tips. Can’t wait to see what you have next!
Marsha
This is so true. SO very true. Baby steps to being more and more self sustained.
I am starting a new DIY linky party at http://www.littlehouseinthesuburbs.com. Please come over and link up so I won’t be all alone?
Deanna,
Gotcha covered! Posted myself and put in on my Facebook page to boot! Have a good day!
In the UK, 96% of the land is owned by 6% of the population- therein lies a big problem. Most people live in tiny shoeboxes the size of a double garage found in most suburban homes in the US, with a back yard no bigger than 12 ft square. Homesteading for regular folks, just isn’t an option there. It saddens me that millions of people are forced to live they way they do, as there is no alternative! Freedom through sustainable living can only be realised if you have access to land- in the UK, that’s a luxury only the seriously wealthy can afford. Another great article Kelly- thanks for sharing it with us on Seasonal Celebration Sunday:-)
Rebecca,
I didn’t know that, thank you for sharing. That really makes me sad. Is there any chance of reform?
I really hope so. What hasn’t been achieved is the repeal of the enclosures acts, which stole millions of acres of land from the common people of Britain, and transferred them to the ownership of wealthy farmers and the landed aristocracy. In 2007, one brave member of parliament put forward a private member’s bill calling for a repeal of the single enclosure’s act, setting a precedent for the return of all the stolen common land to its rightful owners- the people! With no success. It’s been revealed that about 6,000 landowners own some 40m of Britain’s 60m acres of land, and that 70% of the land is owned by 1% of the population. By contrast, 60 million people live in houses collectively occupying 4.4m acres. The British people might believe they are free- but without the ability to be self sufficient, how can they be?
Rebecca,
Truly a sad situation. Thank you for educating me!
Poverty is a great motivator! It will spur you on to change things!
What good timing for this post. I have turned almost my entire yard into food production but I have realized that none of my friends garden. This morning, we were discussing turning our flat roof at work into a container garden next summer so that all of the employees could participate and bring food home. I think we need to start using all possible areas for growing food. Real food that doesn’t come from a box. Now if we can only get the next generation on board.
Thanks for sharing.
Natalie,
That is SO exciting! Awesome! Yes, and let’s train the next generation.