LIFE AFTER WORK: “Back Home on the Hobby Farm: Retirees are working hard--and loving it--as they abandon the city to till the soil,” by Dan Kadlec, Time, 22 October 2007, p. 58.
We all need to live simpler lives, yes?
Expect to hear that refrain a lot.
But here’s the thing about this latest back-to-basics bit from the Boomers: it takes some real money to become hobby farmers.
The only other types buying up small farms to keep them small farms are . . . Amish.
So unless you really do want to mirror-image the Salafis, expect to spend some bucks to go more natural.
What does that tell you? Preserving the past is a game only the wealthy can afford. Elsewhere on this planet, people just try to survive or move up the chain, and in neither case are they much interested in preserving the past.
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Comments (2)
We had to evacuate our home on Sunday night (21st) due to the approaching "Witch" fire. We escaped to our 30' sailboat in San Diego harbor and it provided adequate shelter for 4 days. When we allowed back to our neighborhood we found we had no electricity. All our food in the refrigerator was spoiled. We lived with candles and flashlights for 3 days and nights. We cooked on the propane fueled BBQ. No TV (a blessing in a way) no lights, no hair dryer, no garage door opener. One night we went out to eat and forgot to bring flashlights. When we got back home I had to point the car towards the front walk and door so the headlights would light the way for my wife. The simple life was not to our liking. We had a little inconvenience but some of our neighbors lost their homes.
Posted by Ted O'Connor | November 5, 2007 1:26 PM
It's interesting, though, to discover what does or does not matter to you in such situations. In my last move, I ceased to have access to cable because of cost. I discovered I don't miss it; I watch it occasionally at other people's houses, but use my tv for watching dvds and listening to music.
Posted by Michael | November 8, 2007 4:22 PM