Note: The author has lived on a homestead for twenty-five years using oil lamps and candles, water from a spring, outhouses, hand tools, and work horses. He and his wife Anna Marie, have twelve children, ages twenty down to one. He says, At one time or another one of the children has asked these kinds of questions about townspeople. Brought together, they make a revealing picture of how homesteading contrasts with town life.
My son, you must realize that at home you have been free to roam anywhere and do almost anything. When you go to town, realize people are imprisoned on tiny pieces of land and confined to their houses. They are very possessive of what they have and bind each other with many restrictions and taboos.
You know I have been pleased when you picked flowers from the field for your mother. But in town if you pick a flower they consider it stealing.
We work at home and wear clothing to keep us both warm and protected. I know you will wonder why the clothes in town are so inadequate, with shirts missing shoulders and sleeves, dresses and pants cut off above the knees, shoes without toes and sticks for heels. People who no longer work with their hands can dress in strange ways.
At home we walk on the grass everywhere but in town stay on the man-made stone paving called sidewalks. Dont go over to smell the flowers or to look at interesting plants. Townspeople call this trespassing.
When you wish to rest do not lie down anywhere as you do at home. They may arrest you for vagrancy.
At home we set aside our schedule when someone comes and take time for him. Be warned, my son, and dont be hurt when people have no time for you. It is their idea that their work is more important than people.
You have always built fires when you wanted to cook a snack or warm yourself. Dont do this in town. Because they live closer together and dont see fire often, they fear it and may even have laws against it.
Dont be alarmed when you see someone running by. There is no emergency and they are really going nowhere, as strange as that seems to you. They run in a big circle like this for exercise. When they really want to go somewhere they use a car.
People in town will ask you questions like, How are you? , How is your family?, and Its awful weather, isnt it? It may surprise you that they arent interested in the answer and dont have time anyway for you to really reply. It is their custom to reply with one-word answers such as, fine, good and yes to these questions and then go about their business.
You know our neighbors will welcome you with food and drink but among stranger this rarely happens. You will need money to buy hospitality.
When you go to visit people in town you will rarely find anyone at home. This is because most of the adults work at jobs. That is why their family life is so different than ours.
Do not be in town between 9:00 and 3:00. They think all children should be in school at that time.
When you go into a store, a clerk may rudely tell you to get out. Dont be hurt. He probably only sees town children and may not be used to responsible young people.
All your life you have picked the berries, apples and nuts that grow wild everywhere. In town, they often think these things poisonous and dont eat them. Usually if you tell them they are good to eat they may look at you in a strange way and wont try them.
I have shown you how to use your knife to carve and gather and prepare food, but in town keep it hidden, for they see it as a weapon and children are not supposed to carry weapons.
I have taught you that there is nitrogen in your urine and that helps plants and trees grow. All farmers now this, but in town you must never urinate where people can see you, as they have an idea urinating is indecent and urine is filthy.
You will hear singing and music almost everywhere you go, but this is coming from plastic boxes. The people might think you odd if you sing like you do at home.
Some people will feel sorry for you because you work with your hands and dont have what they have. If they only knew what you and I know they would really feel sorry for themselves. They cant see that, though, because they have never known any other way of life.
Richard Fahey is founder of Christian Homesteading and offers workshops on homesteading skills from his farmstead. For information write: The Christian Homesteading Movement, Oxford NY 13803
