First Steps to a Better Life

It seems to me that simpler times have been left in the dust of today's fast paced life.  Everyone uses cell phones, computers, and debit cards.  What would happen to these people if they were launched back to a time were a cell phone wasn't an option, or they couldn't just run to the store to buy food, or order something they want online?  What if talking to someone on the other side of the country meant sending a letter, or going for a long trip?  What if the grocery stores ran out of food because the shipments didn't come through or there was a shortage?  We just don't seem to experience these things in modern America unless there is some sort of natural disaster.  And even then, people assume that there will always be help on the way.

When did we go from being stubbornly self sufficient to being dependent on a system that only helps us on the surface?  My grandparents knew how to grow their own food, make and mend their own clothes, and build and maintain their own homes.  Now we are dependent on farmers for our food, outlet stores for our clothes (which we just throw away when they are damaged), and construction companies for our homes.  We allow other people to tell us what to eat, how our food should be raised, and how our homes should be built in order to keep us safe.  Since when did we give up the right to decide for ourselves how best we ought to live our lives? 

Taking these rights back can start right here and right now.  Don't want to depend on the grocery store for your food?  Plant a garden.  Grow all the things you like to eat.  You might be amazed by how much better they taste when they are fresh off the plant.  Want to make a fashion statement?  Learn how to make your own clothing.  Learn to weave, knit, crochet, or sew.  Any of those skills could only help you, so what is keeping you from learning about them?  Want to know how to protect yourself?  Take a self defense class, or learn how to properly use a gun.  Want to know how to save a life?  Take an nursing skills class or learn CPR.

There are a million different ways you can make your life more secure and simple.  All of them begin with taking that first step.  Are you ready to begin?