What movies and books inspired you to be Self Sufficient?

[savingdogs]

I think I had a several inspirational and influential flicks and novels, etc., that encouraged me to have my SS goals.

Here is a list of a few of mine:

The Laura Ingalls Wilder books aka Little House on the Prarie

The movie Jerimiah Johnson

The book series called Earth Children series by Jean Auel

Robert A. Heinlein's book Time Enough for Love especially the Story of Dora.

The movie The Earthling starring Ricky Schroeder and William Holden.

A book called O Rugged Land of Gold and another called The Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Anyone else have a similar list? Just wondering.....I know some of you are from the country but I left the city seeking a more natural and self sufficient lifestyle.

 

[Henrietta23]

Definitely Laura Ingalls Wilder's books, in particular Farmer Boy.

 

[patandchickens]

If anything, probably watching the "Good Neighbors" BBC sitcom when our local PBS station picked it up when I was in, I dunno, Jr High or maybe high school.



Pat

 

[BarredBuff]

The Horse Whisperer!

 

[Wannabefree]

The Bible. Everybody in the bible was SS
More PEOPLE influenced me than books or movies though.

 

[mlynd]

Little House, Earth Children's, movie Jerimiah Johnson, I know it is not a book or movie but the SCA really inspired me

 

[savingdogs]

The Bible! Gosh, I left a few off my list I guess. I had a feeling that i would think of more.

I remember reading a novel about Sacajawea that was really inspirational but I do not remember the title or author.

Barred Buff, do you mean Monty Roberts book? I love his ideas although I never used them with horses. I saw one of his seminars and met him about 10 years ago. I loved his book, too.

Pat and Chickens, I have not seen the Good Neighbors. I wonder if it is available on Hulu? My hubby downloads things for me but not everything is available with closed captioning.

Henrietta, I was thinking of purchasing a new copy of the book Farmer Boy. That was the first description I had ever heard of people living by the seasons and eating seasonally. I actually read that series as a young adult, helping my daughter learn to read, not as a child. Same with the chronicles of Narnia, but I'm not sure those had anything to do with being self sufficient. But I enjoy novels written for children if they are well done. Nesbitt comes to mind too, as children's novels that taught resourcefulness mixed with the fantasy story.

 

[CrownofThorns]

Little House on the Prairie and the Bible are top for me as well. But the biggest "inspiration" for me has been our current government and culture.

 

[Icu4dzs]

I guess I have to say the Bible is at the top of the book list (Revelation according to St. John), but there have been many more influences in my life. The "hippie movement of the late 60's didn't hurt but I never got into MANY of their other pursuits, wink wink. I never heard of Laura Ingalls Wilder until I moved to SD in my late 50's.

Frankly, being so dirt poor as I was for so long and being hungry for so many years trying to get my education pushed me in that direction because I rapidly learned that I wanted control of my own destiny in this life.

Being a Boy Scout then a Sea Explorer then to Viet Nam with the Marines then becomming a Green Beret cinched it for me in the early 70's.

Later couple of good movies starting with "The Postman" and "Far and Away" and "Cast Away" helped some, too.

Books are too numerous to count (TNTC) but the Boyscout Handbook was the very first.

Actually "Good Neighbors" was very influential because I could identify with their perspective. I had a house in the city of Baltimore at the time that I bought to fix up. I had 12 square feet of garden space but used every square inch of it.

On Sept 10, 2001 I began to question the whole thing and think maybe my premonitions of things to come since I was 8 years old were maybe a bit "out of it"...then the next morning at about 0930 I realized I was right in what I wanted to do and how I needed to do it.

 

[patandchickens]

The original novella of The Postman was far *far* better than the movie, I considerably recommend it (I believe he later expanded it into a full-length novel that I was not so fond of, and honestly I did not care for the movie)

I remember also reading, probably when I was in college?, a biography (or autobiography? I forget) of Ansel Adams, the b/w landscape photographer, who spent a lot of time wandering 'round the mountains alone. It made me not especially want to do that myself LOL but impressed me.

Oh, of course Euell Gibbons' books on edible wild things, too.

I think i'm showing my middle-aged-ness

Pat