Yesterday I was feeling…I don’t know…down I guess. My husband started talking about radical acts and how every time we diy (do it yourself) we are doing something significant. I know he’s got a point, but I still can’t help feeling as though there is something more I could or should be doing.
I have certain ideals that don’t always mesh well with the majority of people in my community. I’m pretty far left, but as I come out of my shell I find that there are more people who think like we do than I originally thought. I know that we may never live in an ideal world/society, and so I think about what I can do to create that world for myself and my family.
Is it truly a radical act to grow food in your yard or to raise a few animals? In some ways it really is. It’s even radical to shop at outdoor markets or go directly to farms. We happen to be fortunate that these options are fairly abundant where we live, yet it still isn’t enough. Our community could be producing vast amounts of food, year round, and there are plenty of people out there gardening, but it isn’t near enough. People are going hungry, and I truly believe that we should all plant food everywhere we can…food should be free. Sometimes when I’m in a grocery store I am so overly aware of how NOT natural the environment is that I can barely stand it. I start to panic, or I start to daydream about my long ago ancestors who were likely hunter gatherers and how peaceful their lives must have been.
I have the mentality that if I can make something myself, then I will do so before buying something pre made. So I started knitting socks and I learned to bake bread and I learned how to grow a garden. I invested in a dehydrator, started making my own soup stocks, planted my first apple tree, and stocked up on good essential oils. Are these things even significant? So what if we make our own compost for the garden? So what if we make our own cleaning products? How is any of this radical?
Perhaps it’s simply radical to do things that don’t support big corporations. Someone asked me why I would go to the trouble to sew a quilt when I can go buy one. Well here’s why…because I bought a pile of scraps for five dollars at a thrift store, washed and ironed them, found an old flat sheet…and I had a quilt that I just needed to buy batting for, which I bought from a small locally owned quilting store. Also because I enjoy learning and creating things with my own hands. I can put that quilt on my bed in the summer and say ‘I made this and it’s amazing’ instead of wondering if a child in a factory somewhere made my quilt. It just feels good on so many levels.
When I learned to knit I felt as though I was somehow connecting to generations of my family. How many men and women before me knit their own socks, hats, gloves? I can’t even imagine, because it used to be all there was. People even spun their own yarn from wool they may have sheered themselves. I mean, these things are a lost art today and I want so badly to just come right back to it all.
These skills have not been passed down to me. I have learned from many people as well as books and youtube. Modern technology has so many benefits, I greatly wish more people would use it for diy.
I can upcycle a sweater or tshirt into a pillow, a grocery bag, mittens, a hat, or even a skirt.
None of this means I don’t even go to Walmart of Superstore, because I do. I stock up on household items and I do my absolute best to be an informed consumer. I buy bulk when I can and I tend to make our food from scratch wherever I can…which is really quite easy for me.
If there is something small you need to fix or buy, think about doing it yourself and see what happens. You might be amazingly surprised. Then you can trade and share and ideas will take shape and it will be amazing. We can return to simple things one little project at a time.
bathroommirrorpoetry 