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How a Simple Life Is a Hefty Prep
I always hankered for the country life, despite the fact I was raised in the big city. Summers were spent on the family farm, visiting my grandfather out in the barn. It was there that I learned the value of a life of simplicity.
Now that I am out of the big city, living in the country in my own little cabin, my life is much simpler. Turns out, there’s a lot in simplicity that’s connected to preparedness. I thought I’d take some time today to reflect on how the simple life I now live keeps me prepared from day to day for whatever comes my way.
Simple Food
I don’t eat fancy out here in the middle of nowhere, that’s for sure. Most days, you will find me eating the basics. The only bread I eat is whole grain Irish soda bread I fry up myself in my cast iron fry pan. Now that I’m well into my fifties, I limit my consumption of any breads. I don’t eat out and rarely eat the highly processed foods that fill today’s grocery stores. Most of that isn’t even food!
My fall and winter is continual soup or stew, made with whatever’s on hand, whether it be beans, a butternut squash from my cool room [LINK: https://www.theorganicprepper.com/food-preservation-winter/], or some venison gifted from a neighbour.
Yes, some weeks are leaner than others. By eating with staples, I am prepared to make do with what I can grow and trade for the rest. I eat lean and save my resources for necessities. Every once in a while, I make a point of going without my evening meal. I heard it’s good for you, and you sure won’t be getting three squares during the Apocalypse!
Simple Clothing
Speaking of necessities, fashion forward clothing is not one of them for me! When I got out of the big city, I breathed a big sigh of relief. I no longer had to dress to impress. Today, I dress solely for comfort and function: all sourced from local thrift shops. I buy what will last for years, and I know how to mend it, should need be. Should that you-know-what hit the ol’ spinner, I have also set aside extras of high quality footwear of every type. Ya, all from thrift shops, too. So, although my wardrobe may look modest on the outside, it has been collected with function and preparedness in mind.
Nature
The great outdoors is my food, my entertainment, my friend, and my medicine cabinet. In a former article (my first with the OP!), I shared about how weeds are a great prep in terms of food and survival. [LINK: https://www.theorganicprepper.com/weeds-a-good-prep/]
Because I let a lot of my land go wild, I don’t need to feed any bird seed. The natural plants provide food for the birds in the winter. I enjoy watching them as I eat my breakfast. Even though my nearest neighbours feed bird seed all the time, the birds still come over to my place to forage for the real stuff. I wonder if it tastes better?
I cultivate quiet and peace as I go about my day. I am always honing my observation skills, which are a great prep, in and of themselves. In the simple and quiet way that I live, the trees and animals that I share this land with have become my friends. I observe the tracks of the fox that crosses over here from the forest. I also see rabbit tracks and notice it was running. As yes! It was running towards its burrow under the lean-to beside my shed.
I strive to be similarly in tune with the many plants on my rural lot, bordering on a natural meadow. Each year, I am grateful as well as mindful as I harvest sustainably. One fall a while back, a friend needed some St. John’s Wort. I harvested more than I usually did, and noticed a big difference the following spring. There much less. I learned a lesson from that, and now am careful with the bounty shared with me by the native plants on my land.
I take no prescription medicines: only what I make myself. Food is my first medicine, and then tinctures and teas. If I had to leave everything I know behind in a crisis, I know that my knowledge and skill with plants would be valued in any community.
Self-Reliance
Yeah, a lot of folks probably think I’m crazy, but I do a lot of stuff that people use machines for. One example is shovelling my snow. Yep, you read that right: I shovel. I don’t push it or blow it. I have a $10 plastic shovel that does the trick.
And when I’m out there in the quiet, shoveling away, I’m getting the exercise that I need to stay fit. I mean, honestly, what if there was no fuel and I needed to fell all my firewood by hand? You bet I have all the tools I need to do that, too. So, I’m the one who does things the hard way, but simple is often hard. Thing is, there are also built in benefits to hard, and I’ll take them all the way to the bank: the preparedness bank, that is!
Unplugged
Quite a while ago, I decided to unplug from a society that I felt was, well, just getting out of hand. I don’t take in any of the MSM anymore. Somehow, someone usually spills the beans about any big happenings, anyhow. This decision is about where I put my energy.
I choose to focus on what I can control: What is nearby, helping folks I know, what I can see. That’s it. It feels more manageable. I do not agree with endless profits and unlimited greed. In every way I can, I vote with my money for love and local producers and business. That may sound simple, but it’s helping me build a strong network of like-minded folks who would have my back if things get tougher. Unplugging also helps keep my mind ready for anything: calm and resilient.
Complex Isn’t Always Best
A simple life that reflects my values also has me well-prepared. For more information on simplicity, you might enjoy this book.
Is your life simple or complex? Which direction do you want to head in the coming year, and in what areas? How will you get there? Please tell us in the comments section.
The post How a Simple Life Is a Hefty Prep appeared first on The Organic Prepper.
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