Now that NaNoWriMo is done and dusted, I can bring my thoughts back to my backyard farm somewhere in Europe. It’s actually much less of a hassle than people think it is, but the one thing that I have since learned is that “doing it myself” is not only a myth but a sin, straight from the bowels of Hades.
Before you crucify me, let me explain my point of view better.
Humans are social animals. We have a herd mentality, not unlike sheep. And the really big goals, such as the ones I want to reach, are not individual goals, but a team effort. It’s going to take someone to market my apartment for sale here in South Africa, the tax people to issue the certificate to release the funds, the police service to issue a paper to certify that I am a model citizen and our department of Home Affairs to make me a passport.
Then I need transport – a shuttle to take me to the airport, an airline to get me to Poland, a train service to take me to Kyiv, and friendly customs staff all the way. I will need a hotel receptionist to book me in and give me a walkabout map of Kyiv. Then I shall need a lawyer/legal representative to help me to get a Ukrainian tax number and set up a company. He/She will also need to help me negotiate the purchase of my “Rescue Property” and facilitate all the documentation involved in the process…
And that’s just for the first week of the viewing trip!
The point that I want to make is that there’s no way that I can do anything without at least a hundred people helping me. And telling myself and the world that I am “doing it by myself” will be to disregard all their effort on my behalf and make me into a jerk. We have enough jerks on this planet. No need to create one more.
To me, self-sufficiency is not a “DIY attitude”, but a deep-seated reluctance to rely on governments and large corporations (“The Man”) for my daily needs. I don’t trust any government or bureaucracy to have my best interest at heart. People are “Human Resources” to them, and resources are exploited more often than not.
Being self-sufficient – to me – is having the knowledge, skills, and means to take care of myself and my loved ones once the world as we know it ends, be it through a natural or a man-made disaster, an alien invasion, or an orc attack. It’s about not starving, being warm and being protected, and not having to enter into a “survival mode” mindset, because my lifestyle already provides what I need. In SUFFICIENT quantities and of the right quality. People who panic don’t think straight and make wrong choices.
But first, why am I talking about a “rescue property?” I make it sound like an animal from the shelter, don’t I? Well, that’s a good analogy and also why I chose the term.
In Ukraine, as in most countries in Europe, there is an increasingly aging population. Also, most of the younger people flock to the cities as they consider the urban areas to provide them with what they want more abundantly. That leaves the villages empty and leads to the houses and properties falling into disrepair, as there is no one to maintain them properly. Also, a lot of the traditional knowledge gets lost as the older generation dies off. The other problem with Ukraine is that it was once part of the USSR and that regime had extremely strict controls in place. The houses were pretty much built to the exact same floorplans, regardless of where in the country they were. And both the materials and craftmanship became increasingly inferior as time went by. Needless to say, many village houses are literally rotting apart and are in the market for a song.
I don’t want to raze a house just for the sake of taking it down to the ground, but in some cases, it may be necessary. Where I do need to have it rebuilt, though, I would prefer to keep the “look” of the house the same from the outside while totally redesigning the interior layout and modernizing the fixtures. In most cases, there is still a composting toilet somewhere in the yard, and while I agree in principle, there are more modern ways of coping with human waste, while still being eco-responsible.
What I am not going to compromise on, though, is heating. And that – ironically – is one of the few things that was done right! I want to get someone to design and build me a brick stove, with heated seating. That way, the stove can literally heat up the whole house and still be used to cook food! And with the added advantage of warming up one’s bum at mealtimes and during the day in winter. Something to consider…
My biggest problem is that I don’t have a partner in any of this. My life happened and then I made a conscious decision. Too many times bitten, I suppose. But that means that I also have to design a “homestead for one” as opposed to a “family homestead” and think carefully about the systems, crops, and animals that I want in place. It’s no use having a large farming operation that I can’t manage by myself because it might not always be possible to ask someone for help. I also don’t want to overextend myself financially and go into debt. In reality, this means that I have an extremely steep learning curve ahead of me, as I shall have to learn to do many things that a person in a family situation won’t necessarily need to know how to do. And I shall have to find ways to compensate for my lack of physical strength and stamina. Tools, gadgets, etc.
And people! I shall have to surround myself with a team who combined have all the skills and experience that I lack, be it legal knowledge, technical skills, or sheer muscle power! Therefore, I shall have to learn to be nice. Hmmm…
Who says a blog can’t help you plan? Or get your thoughts in order, at least?
There are big rebuilding operations that are going to kick off the moment the last orc gets exterminated from Ukraine, similar to the ones that went through Europe after WW2. It’s needed. Some places are completely destroyed. I don’t think those schemes will reach the smaller villages, though. But that’s where I want to live and work and write and create and grow stuff and dream. All while breathing clean air and not worrying about my physical safety.
And maybe my neighbors and I can work together and we can make our corner of the country into a place where people would WANT to live and raise their children and simply be. That would be cool.
OK, it’s that part of the post, again, where I remind you that you have some loose change lying around and that if you don’t have any immediate plans for it yourself, it would be greatly appreciated if you can send some in my way. It’s easy – just click/tap HERE and follow the links. You can even specify what you want to give the money for. I have many projects running and the funds will definitely be allocated accordingly. Muchly appreciated.