Joseph is a man that I had the good fortune of befriending in junior high. Way before it was trendy in the naive romanticism of 2007, he and his family (lots of siblings) lived on a farm. For the first few years, while they were building (by hand) their home, they all lived in a shed. To this day, neither the shed nor the home has electricity. Joseph made mention of - more than a few times - the difficulties involved in maintaining such a lifestyle. Every element of the day involves so much effort and thoughtfulness... so much planning. Perhaps this kind of intense involvement in the processes that determine our existence would push us into more mindfulness... more consciousness and thankfulness for the things that consume our days. Maybe, out of shear necessity, we would simplify our lifestyles and reassess our sense of need (ourselves and others). The collective we would be a lot happier... mentally and physically healthier. I'm not suggesting that we all move to the country and abandon our lives. If we all indulged our naive escapist romanticism the result could just be a different ecological disaster than the one that we face right now, and there is potential for urban environments to be viable/practical solutions to population-based land pollution. I'm just suggesting mindfulness where we are. Doesn't seem like it takes drastic leaps toward doing something or being somewhere other. A text I was reading reminded me to be weary of those kinds of inclinations/motivations... as they generally signify passing discontentment. It just takes a willingness to think and pay attention. The rest will follow. Hats off to the Timlins for taking time to think.
The Farm
Add to My Profile | More Videos
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
wow, this really thoughtful. fantastic post. thank you!
Actually, a percentage of the hippies were living in communes out in the country in the early 70's. (My mom had me watch a history channel special on the Hippies today, miffs me that I missed the boat by 30 years or so)
Much of our 2007 romanticism comes from that idealism, I believe.
Its incredible how foreign this "simple life" can be to the modern man. but you have just showed how possible it really is. great, very Wendell Berry-esque.
How did you find this youtube matt?
They added me on the space to their bonfire party page and it was posted there... I think Aaron or Jacob uploaded it to myspace.
this is amazing. i love the idea of going green! ride your bikes! leave the car at home! don't use plastic products! recycle! i love it!
that makes me think of 30 Days episode "Off the Grid"
Two nightclub employees with a dependence on the grid have to live off it without electricity, phone service, or Internet; they have to spend 30 days at Dancing Rabbit, an ecovillage in Missouri.
Rules:
1. They must leave cars, electricity, and live completely off the grid.
2. They must engage in manual labor.
3. They must recycle everything, including their human waste products.
i tried to find video for you but failed :(
Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday (Jan. 4)? I haven't watched Oprah in over two years, but it came on after the news, and I had nothing better to do, so I watched it. Anyway, it was a show on how to live more environmentally friendly. Not much new there, but she did have some really interesting ideas on how to cut down on waste. Quoted from the show, the average American generates 4.5 pounds of trash per DAY. We're a pretty trashy society (pun intended). And carbon emissions... and everything else. Props to your friends who have LIVED counter-societal for such a long time. Their testimony is really motivating to live out one's beliefs. Rock on!
Post a Comment