A Personal Note from the Homestead
A shift in consciousness results in a shift in the external world
**Photo by: Sheila Sund from Salem, United States, CC BY 2.0
After my last post, it became clear that I still have more to say regarding various shifts in consciousness and perspectives that I’ve been experiencing, so my planned post on a marvelous Asian homesteader/farmer will be delayed. I also noticed many of you were craving something more personal from me, which is why I thought I’d share this here.
These shifts and changes I mentioned above have been brewing for a long time, but only ‘clicked’ recently. Before I take a leap, things have to resonate on a very deep level until I no longer feel that I can move forward in my life “as is.” Sometimes, that brewing time equates to days or weeks, and other times, it can be months or years. To people around me, such changes can appear sudden and impulsive, but that’s because I keep most of my internal musings to myself until I’ve fully made sense of them.
For those who aren’t familiar with my life, here are a few details that will help you understand why these shifts I’m writing about will seem to be part of a natural flow:
I’m experienced in growing organic vegetables, melons and berries.
I live in rural America after living, working, and traveling abroad for many years.
I don’t drink alcohol, smoke, consume anything caffeinated or with added sugar.
I don’t use conveniences like microwaves or convection ovens.
I’ve haven’t participated in the medical system for most of my adult life and have remained strong and healthy.
I keep almost all of my assets and money out of the banking system.
I eat strictly organic food, most of which is from my gardens or local farmers.
I haven’t had accounts on social networks for over a decade. (I once attempted to use Twitter to promote this newsletter, but it felt odd being on there, so I deleted the account within 3 weeks.)
Recently, I had the privilege of staying in a log cabin in the mountains without electricity or phone reception for a couple of weeks. (I’ve had other brief experiences of living without electricity, but this was the first time in 7 years.) And I hiked 6-8 miles per day while I was there, reminding me how quickly my body can adapt to different environments, demands, and lifestyles.
Now that I’m home with 24/7 access to phone and internet service and living in my electrified farmhouse, I notice the difference in quality of life. My sleep is not as deep or restful. I’m less prone to be outside and moving than when I was without electricity. And the hum of appliances nags in the background.
That experience has pushed me to live a lifestyle I’ve pondered for several years: I’ve decided that I’m going to move into a small, off-grid cabin: no running water, no electricity. It will not be an immediate move. We’ll clear a small area here on the land later this autumn once most of the birds fly south so as to minimize disturbance. (I believe in taking only what I need.) The building process will begin early next summer at the latest.
Water will come from a hand-pump well. I’ll use candles (lanterns) and oil lamps. I will continue to rely on the large chest freezer in the garage for storing meat for my pets. (They eat a strictly raw diet.) I will wash my bedding using the washing machine in the main house. I will either wash my clothes by hand or by one of those hand-crank washers. (May have to pay a visit to the most famous off-grid store in the country: Lehman’s, which is in Ohio.) All will be hung to dry in the sun or by the wood stove. Composting toilet. I’ll cook over a wood stove in the colder months and on a propane camp stove in the warmer ones. Maybe I’ll have a gravity-fed shower of my own, or maybe I will share one of the ones already here. I’ve been sketching ideas, and I’m thinking 350 square feet max.
But the what is not the most important. It’s always about the why for me. Part of it is an intense desire to live closer to the land and be more connected to the elements. When I look at civilized life, I see a spectrum: on one end is the feeling of aliveness and exerting ourselves physically to meet our needs, and at the other end is convenience and comfort and remaining a cog in the wheel. The more conveniences and creature comforts we have, the more dulled our senses become, and the more distant experiencing aliveness becomes. I have no interest in suffering, but I also have no interest of losing touch with my senses, my humanity, and the environment around me.
Another change is that I’m going to transition back to a “dumb” phone: either a flip phone or a Light Phone—neither of which can host a “smart wallet” for CBDCs (link to my article on how CBDCs will be used to control and enslave people) or have a distraction factor to them. This transition will likely take several months. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done such a thing. I switched to a flip phone from the autumn of 2016 to the spring of 2018. The only reason I went back to a smartphone was because I was headed abroad for a couple of months and didn’t want to lug my laptop with me. I’ve even entertained giving up mobile phones and going to back to a landline, but I’m not there yet. Maybe some day in the future. (I once lived in Asia without any phone at all for over 13 months.)
I’m prepared to extricate myself from as many control grids as possible. For example, I haven’t renewed my EU passport because it requires that I take a biometric photo. I refuse to handover my biometric data to governments and large corporations so they can control my every action. It’s bad enough that some countries have my retinal scan and fingerprints after so many years of international travel, but I don’t have to hand it all over. And I won’t renew my US passport if the government starts requiring the same of us. In the wrong hands, that information can be used to make clones and digital avatars in our likeness. Thanks, but no thanks, I say.
If it seems as though I’m checking out of “civilization,” I am—to some degree. But this isn’t some dark, depressed, hide-in-the-woods sort of retreat from the world. This is about embracing a way of life that feels right in my bones. Right for me, that is. It’s about being more present and participatory in the community around me. I don’t judge those who don’t agree with my choices or who would not make similar choices for themselves. This just feels like a natural progression for me and my life.
I have people like Mark Boyle to thank for the inspiration. Daniel Suelo, Dan Price (not the card processing guy) and Robin Greenfield have also influenced me over the years, showing what’s possible and leaving me curious of where such changes could take me. I’ll be keeping my home office (in the farmhouse) with my hard-wired internet, though. And I’ll carry on writing here. I’m not going full Mark Boyle on you. At least, not yet.
In short, as it becomes harder and harder to discern what’s real in this world and more and more people are entrenching themselves in the virtual world, I’m moving towards a life that’s closer to my grandparents upbringing. One that engages all of my senses and that offers peace and quietude I know the alternative can’t.
Have any of you ever entertained making such shifts or “checking out,” as many of the people in the videos linked below have?
Here are several videos that highlight ideas that have heavily influenced my thought processes and lifestyle shifts over the years:
Dan Price
Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild (the password for the video: pictures)
*Absolutely stunning episode. A rare opportunity for those who don’t live in the UK to watch this marvelous show.
Mark Boyle
Daniel Suelo
Robin Greenfield
*This video covers a number of topics beyond the food system, particularly in the Q&A. I encourage you to watch it all, if you have the time.
When the cheap energy from fossil fuels is exhausted, it will be prescient folks like you that build humanity 2.0. At 75 I may not live to see it, but I wish you the best. I truly admire what you are doing.
See Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" and E.F. Schumacher's "Small is Beautiful". Be well, and keep us posted.