Teach the children well...

I've probably said before that my posts on this blog are on no set schedule.  I have to wait until something piques my interest.  And I totally realize that I only scratch the surface of most of the subjects I bring up.  Really just making a stab at jump starting the thought process - not providing the whole "how to" manual.

Recently I read that the millennials (whoever they actually are - 18 to 35 years old or something in that range?) are not survival oriented.  The article stated that the upcoming generations have lost the "old time" skills necessary to provide for themselves and would be helpless in the event of a wide spread loss of government services and grocery stores. That they would be unable to survive since they have no clue how to take care of themselves.  They might as well be marooned on a desert island with no chance of making landfall.

Or up the proverbial creek with no means of propulsion! 

That being said I'm not sure that most of them would actually either curl up and whine for mommy or go out and start picketing for the return of Big Brother to take care of them but it is a truism that probably most of them aren't prepared to actually start from scratch to survive.

So exactly what do I expect "us" to do about it?  I don't think we can retro-fit an attitude of preparedness in an entire generation.  But perhaps turn our efforts to the next batch?

How about take one of the pre-millennials under our wing the next time we decide to resurrect our canning jars and make pickles.  Or for the manly among us why not teach one of the up and comers how to build something - like perhaps a garden frame?  In other words, lets start a new generation of people who do know something about the old skills.

And, harking back to my last post on the basics, perhaps we can help our children and grandchildren understand what is actually necessary to get through the day.  Children are endlessly curious if given half a chance.  So how about gather them up, shut off the electronics (ignore the moaning) and go to a farm.  Yup, a farm - let the kids see a real live chicken that isn't in a plastic package.  Let them see a milking shed where the milk isn't already on a grocery shelf.  I don't mean that we all have to go out and start raising chickens or get our own Bossy the cow, but at least show the sprouts where our food comes from.  And help them realize that it doesn't spring full blown onto the grocery shelves complete with cooking instructions.

And aside from cows and chickens there are things we can do.  If you don't have the room to have your own garden, explore the possibilities of community gardens in your area.  Introduce the children to the fun of putting a seed in the ground and, wonder of wonders, having it turn into food!  I suggest radishes as a good starter plant - hard to fail and good to eat!

The old time skills and foods and techniques are valuable and should be remembered and practiced - even in small doses.  If nothing else it promotes a sense of accomplishment and self confidence. So, as someone once said, teach the children well and if the occasion ever arises when they need to, they will be the ones who understand what it really takes to get through the day.

P.S.  For that matter perhaps a few chickens wouldn't be such a bad idea!

And furthermore

An addendum to yesterday's post - a bit more history and hopefully a little inspiration?


http://www.centredaily.com/living/article42921708.html


If nothing else, read the last sentence!

Keep busy, do something, grow something, make something

and you had better to do it for someone else:

Recently Facebook had a link to a podcast (I didn't even know what that was, I confess) about The Giving Garden in Pennsylvania. Started by my niece and her husband at their church with the idea of raising fresh produce and giving it away.  To whomever needed it -  period.  No paperwork, no guidelines, no restrictions. They give it to the homeless shelters, women's shelters, special needs people and, during zucchini season, anyone who wanders too close to my niece and makes eye contact with her (her words, not mine!).

They have given away tremendous quantities of wonderful food to an awful lot of people and in doing that have built a sense of community that I suspect has reached far beyond that original plot of dirt.  It's not rocket science as her husband says:  it's dirt in a box, don't over think it - don't make it harder than it has to be.  Just do it and see what happens.

Their aim going forward ties nicely in with my desire that all my readers (and I have no clue who you are or how many of you there are) grow something.  Grow it in a pot, grow in in a raised bed, grow it out on the lawn but grow it.  And then share it!  My next door neighbor ends up taste testing everything from a new bread recipe to different pickles I've made to the extra parsnips.  

And then I noticed last year they were starting their own little garden out on their the back lawn.  The guy down the street got in a competition with his friend around the corner to see who could raise the most different kinds of tomatoes.  And then he branched out into peppers....it was awesome!

The title of this post comes from something that same niece said to me about our family - that we are a combo of one side (that is the keep busy, do something, grow or make something side) and the other side which cares more for everyone else than for themselves. Not that they weren't busy or productive but they always thought of doing for others before taking for themselves.



I'm not sure the link I've put in will actually work - can't tell that until the post is published.  But be that as it may, think of your own "giving garden" this coming summer.  We can all raise something and have enough to share if we just put some dirt in a box (or a bag or a pot), add a few seeds and don't over think it.

https://allinfoodz.podbean.com/e/the-giving-garden/?token=bd8b2bdf94554f066d5e478141780f66

Not for everyone

If you are noticing that there are additions to the right side of my blog posts, if nothing else that means you don't have tunnel vision.  Good job!

Having said that I realize full well that some of the things that I find interesting and/or informative are not necessarily of interest to everyone - certainly not everyone who follows my blog,

Various things interest me that probably make some of you want to throw up your hands and wonder "why would she even?".

That is the beauty of variety - even in a library there are a lot of things I couldn't care less about while others might think they were awesome.  That's why libraries are so full of books.  Something for everyone.

The blogs I follow and read swing to both ends of the spectrum:  the Sunshine Guerrilla is my nephew's daughter.  A young woman who is determined to (a) make us all more informed, (b) make us better people and (c) save the planet in the process.  At the rate she is going I think she might actually have an appreciable impact.

The Curmudgucation blog is my nephew (her father) who is a passionate and articulate English teacher who fights the good fight for quality education in the best possible way.  He's also a damn good musician and a talented author.

The You Me And The After is a friend of mine who is, like me, trying to find his blogging way through the day to day minutiae of existence the best way he can.  He has, as do I, varied interests and some memories of the older way of doing things which color his blog posts in an extremely individual fashion.

All of the above is meant to explain that none of these are necessarily anything you are in the least interested in and that's ok.  As a matter of fact, that's great!  If we all thought alike there would be nothing to argue about.

So follow the links if you are so inclined but if you're not:  don't.  It's as easy as that.