Do you have SS friends? Or do your friends think you are weird?

[Beekissed]

Mine think I'm extremely weird and cannot relate at all! As a matter of fact, everyone I know views me as a novelty or some kind of brain damaged hippy for wanting to do this type of stuff.

Even my family, with the exception of my mother, have ran~ not walked~ away from our SS roots and have little desire to have anything but convenience.

Do you guys find this a little lonely? Especially all you folks whose spouses don't "get it"? Do you grow impatient with their not "getting it"? Sometimes I do, as I would love to have someone to pal with about it.

I guess this is why I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to connect with others of the same mindset. Just to have someone who gets a thrill over getting something for free or cheap, or loves to recycle something for additional use, or even likes to keep in touch with their pioneer roots....any commonality with the human race on the Earth today would be a little bit of a comfort! Its like living in a foreign land and not knowing the language!

 

[justusnak]

Oh, I Soooo know where you are coming from. DH and I have been working a few years to make this little farm as self suffecient as possible. We raise chickens,turkeys, and a few pigs a year. We have fruit trees...apples,cherries, and adding peaches in the spring. We have grapes, elderberries, raspberries,and mulberry trees...oh, and persimmon trees. We have a small pond we are trying to save to get it dug out deeper...and I garden and can everything. My sisters are constantly telling me I am crazy for wanting to " work so hard" My son tells me to "give up the animals and relax". They just dont get it. Oh well...when this old world goes to heck in a handbasket....I will be here to help them fill thier tummies. People think I am crazy...but thats ok...I dont mind...my chickens love me!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, Beekissed, what can I say... I don't really have alot of friends, and personally they aren't even high up on the list of things I want. I have had many friends over the years, and they have all hurt me in one way or another, so, in all honesty, I like my chickens better.

My dh is my best friend, and he does get my SS kick. I have a few acquaintances, whom one might call friends, and they accept me as I am. Mind you, two of these women own horses, one who is from Denmark, so she is living vicariously through me, since i gladly welcome her over to help me ride and exercise the horses. She also has pigs, and a few other farm animals back in Denmark. My other friend would be my sil, and she and I have animals in common (horses and chickens), but it is just her and her dh both working full time, so they are not frugal like I am.

Everyone in my life respects the fact that we live the way we live, infact, most are proud of how we live.

But in all honesty, I really don't care. This is a lifestyle that hubby and I chose, --we thought it was best for us, and also for our kids.

When we moved out here to country, I had absolutely no interest or desire to find and make friends out here. And I had no desire to keep in touch with the acquaintances I had made in the city.
I don't get lonely, in fact, I would love to be able to live remotely with very little outside contact.

For likeminded folks to talk to--that's why I have YOU and the rest of my SS friends

 

[Beekissed]

I get that a lot also...."sounds like a lot of hard work to me!" They just don't see the merits of a little work for a big profit. Soooo much the problem in this country right now...instant gratification, slap down that credit card for a purchase, food from the grocery freezer is so much easier, a new car is necessary, and one just must keep in contact of every moment of every day with everyone via cell phone...but never actually visit folks anymore and just sit and talk.

Funny thing about cell phones...most folks claim they want their teenager to have them so they can reach them if they "need to", but families seem so much less close than they ever were. My nieces and nephews all have cell phones....they are all in grade school! If this keeps them in touch, why is everyone so "out of touch" with their children? You can't "touch" anyone through a cell phone!

Okay...stepping off of soap box!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, since we went SS, or are trying to as much as possible, my friends all think we are poor.

Ok $ wise we may be considered poor, but I feel so rich! I have so many blessings that they don't, I can't begin to tell about them!

They gripe about things like not being able to pay the cell phone bill, and I am like, just cancel it! They look at me like I suggested they cut off an arm or something

They can't wrap their minds around how happy and satisfied my husband are. I hear "I don't know how you do it" all the time (so sick of hearing it too!). They tell me they feel bad for us, and I am like WHY?!

They just don't get it. They think we are deprived or something.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

I hear "I don't know how you do it"

It's funny you said that. I was asked last just last night by my neighbor "I can't understand, with as tough as times are getting, how you all are making it. Your DH is the only one working and he is on short time. Tell me, how are you doing it?"

Well, I told her that it is by God's amazing grace. If I had began to tell her how we are making it, I would still be on the phone with her.

We were so blessed this year with a lot of fruits and veggies to can and a lot of folks say that's its to much work, that they would rather go and buy at the store. Oh, well, go ahead is all I say.

I don't have many TRUE friends myself, though I would like to have a couple that like the things that I do, like chickens and other animals, like ones that can foods and likes to be SS. I think, and this is MY opinion, that people are just to spoiled. Spoiled with so much food that they can waste it, spoiled with cell phone to communicate w/ family, spoiled with cars to get from point A to point B, just plain spoiled.

I like to work hard, even though it is a bit tiring. I like feeling as though I have accomplished something when making things for the family. I like being able to mend something instead of throwing it away and just going to buy more. I like being who God wants me to be.

I'm done

And Beekissed, you get on that soap box anytime.

 

[punkin]

Those who run to the store to get every little convenience item just "don't get it" do they? It gives me a deep satisfaction that I can do something for myself, by myself.

As far as it being hard work, it is. But, it's a different kind of work. I don't know how to explain it, but it's just kind of "fun" for me. My MIL always says that I need to rest (because that's what she does). I don't like to just rest. I'm a "do-er", I get bored easily. My peace comes from canning, gardening, cleaning coops and mowing the yard.

I have a few friends who understand, but the majority do think I am wierd. They wonder why I want to make all this stuff myself when I can just go buy it. I think they are the ones who are wierd.

 

[ChickaD]

Mine think I'm extremely weird and cannot relate at all! As a matter of fact, everyone I know views me as a novelty or some kind of brain damaged hippy for wanting to do this type of stuff.

Even my family, with the exception of my mother, have ran~ not walked~ away from our SS roots and have little desire to have anything but convenience.

Do you guys find this a little lonely? Especially all you folks whose spouses don't "get it"? Do you grow impatient with their not "getting it"? Sometimes I do, as I would love to have someone to pal with about it.

I guess this is why I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to connect with others of the same mindset. Just to have someone who gets a thrill over getting something for free or cheap, or loves to recycle something for additional use, or even likes to keep in touch with their pioneer roots....any commonality with the human race on the Earth today would be a little bit of a comfort! Its like living in a foreign land and not knowing the language!

All of this is so incredibly true for me too, I wonder "Did I just write this while I wasn't looking?" (don't mind me...it's heading toward full moon...)
I can't tell you how wonderful and even relieving it is to find like-minded folks who have their values in good, solid things...aren't afraid of work, feel deep-down satisfaction from raising their own food and animals, feel grateful & connected to their piece of earth, and put people before "stuff". I'm feeling more and more like I can talk with you all (not far enough south in Vermont to be allowed to say "y'all" ) about the things that are important to me, 'cause they are the same things that matter to you, so we understand each other...and don't try to change each other!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Your right Punkin, it is a satisfying work even though it is hard. My MIL and I don't talk, she doesn't like me. Oh, well, she's the one missing out. I rest when its time to go to bed and on Sundays.

Yes, sometimes we can work so hard that we feel as though we are gonna fall out, but we must press on and do what we feel is right by our families. Don't ask me why I just said all that.

I am so glad that there are still those that like to be SS in these times.

 

[ChickaD]

I also think it's highly likely there will come a time when we'll be very happy to be prepared and know how to do things simply.