Monday, June 06, 2011

The time frame of your raising, and how it makes you who you are

I wrote this on a preparedness/survival message board in response to a question about how the time frame of one's raising might affect one's interest in preparedness. And now in rereading my answer, I see that I didn't do a very good job of answering the question. but I thought I'd share it here anyway.

I was born in 1962 to a schoolteacher mother who grew up on a small Kansas farm, and a physicist father who was helping design weapons guidance systems to fight the Cold War. Both were kids in the Great Depression and had a lot of thrifty habits that came out of that.

They went through a back-to-the-land thing when I was young, like through my mid teen years. They wanted to try organic gardening, buying milk from a farmer, buying organically raised beef on the hoof and having it butchered to order, and keeping us eating as few refined foods as possible. We rebelled and sabotaged their efforts at every turn, but some of it did soak in; I bake my own bread because my father baked the bread for the family for a couple of years, and I garden because they did, and I can sew because she could, and I am thrifty because they knew how to be. They also taught me important lessons such as a personal faith, being a member of a church, making giving a habit just like paying the mortgage, paying my debts, and sobriety. I owe all I am to their raising; however, I will not let anybody blame them for my faults.

4 comments:

Jen (emsun.org) said...

Very interesting. I was born in 1984 to two young parents (1964 and 1966). They were not back-to-the-land at all. I'm pretty much nothing like them (when it comes to environmental causes and personal preparedness). I think I got into this type of lifestyle for my kids.

Catherine said...

I don`t see a problem with your answer. It was a thoughtful response.

Catherine said...

Got to thinking about my comment though I do agree with my first comment.

I was raised in the age of Cold War fear. A communist on every street corner. The age of Duck and Cover, as though hiding under your desk at school would protect us from "the Bomb". My parents were organic gardeners. We produced everything but meat. Canned our foods and had a huge chest freezer. I believe our farm habits, church habits and generosity toward others was more influenced by how my parents were raised by their folks, the influence of grandparents etc.

Hope that makes sense.

Felisol said...

I can see you and I have a lot in common, except for the occupation of our parents. The great depression taught them stuff they delivered further.

I also remember when our neighbours sprayed their apples with DDT, my father would not hear or do nothing of the sort, and we had apples for the whole winter, strawberries black and red currant, potatoes, carrots reddish, lettuce, sweet peas and much more. My home working mother did almost all the working in the "field" alone.
I was blessed, and I have grown all my herbs and berries organic all of my life.
I wish I had learnd to sew, I never got the hang of it. My mother sewed me clothes till I was almost thirty, twenty seven, actually. Then she said fabric was more expensive than
the the H&M clothings and put her brakes on.
She has sewed our bunads though, they are still cheaper when home made,- and prettier too.
Have a nice Monday..