Are we truly free?
Wind : Solar : Organics
Michael Glade Baird
This is a question I have been thinking about for the past several months, that and how does it translate into one’s own sustainability. So the question that kept popping into my head was “what is Freedom?”
I am free to vote. I am free to voice my opinion. I am free to own a car and property. I am free to travel and so on and so forth, but does that truly make me free? At first thought I would say yes, but after further consideration I believe I, like many, are living a life of illusion.
Why do I say this? How can I be living a life full of smoke and mirrors? It can not be that bad, I am healthy, happy (for the most part), eek out a living and want for naught, right? Maybe the better question here is, I am free to a point and if I am sustainable then that would make me truly free. There is just one problem with this line of thinking, again like most people, I am not 100% sustainable so how could I then be possibly free? “Houston we have a problem!” I now realize I need to look at my own sustainability, lifestyle and environment to decipher this code of lies. Fine. Let us begin. Do I own my own home, “yes”, ummm “No” the bank owns it. Alright, well I own my own car…..Sorry, wrong again, my Credit Union owns that. Water, water is free! Nope, wrong again, I pay the city for that as well. Heat, we all need heat and I used to own a wood stove and all the trees required for fuel…Used to Own! I have solar for my energy consumption, but alas, not for all of it! My car is powered by gas, which I do not produce. Ah Ha, I grow my own food!….Yeah about 20% of it, the rest is coming from 1500 miles away…Damn! We own a sewing machine and all the fabric ever needed for our clothing….Yes, a victory….which is short lived due to it’s need for electricity. I do not grow enough herbs for medicine. I do not have a creek, pond or any water supply on my property (unless an irrigation system counts), of course it does not when it is the city’s water.
I now see my own life illusion. To be truly free one must produce and outright own his/her own energy, food, clothing, fuel, water, home, land, heat, transportation, and medicine. We are not free if others own and control our most basic needs to survive. We can only be truly free if we are completely sustainable in all facets of our lives. To this, I strive to be, it will be my main mission in life to once and for all be TRULY FREE!
- Michael Baird
417-209-3227
 |
 |
 |
|
||
|
|
||
 |
|
 |
|
||
Hey Man!! Nice thoughts. You forgot that we need to brew also…We could trade for that but then we are slaves to them…Have you read Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’? He is considered the father of modern economics. I think he may sway your transcendental version of freedom a bit. Not that I disagree with you, it just makes such drastic juxtaposition between Thoreau’s view and Smith’s….Hope your day is grand!!! I miss you man!
JS
I really like this! Can we really be free if others are not?
Keep up the great work at Glade Winds.Teri and Michael-
you are inspiring!
This is just exactly what I think! I have a dream to be totally self sufficient. Not sure if I can attain that, but it is my goal. I have 4 kids and live on 2 acres so far. I hope to grow a great deal of our food, and can it. I also would like to update to at least a solar powered well. I have a wood stove as the only heat source and we burn fallen trees, limbs down from wind, etc. Clean up after loggers by taking the tops. When the ice storm hit, we were fine although the National Guard did come by after about a week and offered us water. We cooked on top of the wood stove, and drewwater out of a cistern for flushing toilets. I do wish we had a solar powered well though as we had to go out for drinking water. Is there a way to hook up a well pump to solar or wind power?? Thank you and this site rocks! Lena & kids
Thank you for your comments Lena!
The way you are gathering wood for your stove is fantastic! It saddened us after the ice storm when the fallen trees and branches were chipped and disposed of when it could have been cut and used for firewood.
Yes, Lena, you may hook up a well pump to operate on solar power.
There are a number of considerations – horsepower of your pump, depth of well, water level, etc. Please look at http://gladewinds.com/energy-evaluation/ and then copy and paste the form into an e-mail to info@gladewinds.com and answer the applicable questions.
The cost and labor varies depending on your needs. You may also give Michael a call to discuss a bit further 417-209-3227.
This is just exactly what I think! I have a dream to be totally self sufficient. Not sure if I can attain that, but it is my goal. I have 4 kids and live on 2 acres so far. I hope to grow a great deal of our food, and can it. I also would like to update to at least a solar powered well. I have a wood stove as the only heat source and we burn fallen trees, limbs down from wind, etc. Clean up after loggers by taking the tops. When the ice storm hit, we were fine although the National Guard did come by after about a week and offered us water. We cooked on top of the wood stove, and drewwater out of a cistern for flushing toilets. I do wish we had a solar powered well though as we had to go out for drinking water. Is there a way to hook up a well pump to solar or wind power?? Thank you and this site rocks! Lena & kids
This is just exactly what I think! I have a dream to be totally self sufficient. Not sure if I can attain that, but it is my goal. I have 4 kids and live on 2 acres so far. I hope to grow a great deal of our food, and can it. I also would like to update to at least a solar powered well. I have a wood stove as the only heat source and we burn fallen trees, limbs down from wind, etc. Clean up after loggers by taking the tops. When the ice storm hit, we were fine although the National Guard did come by after about a week and offered us water. We cooked on top of the wood stove, and drewwater out of a cistern for flushing toilets. I do wish we had a solar powered well though as we had to go out for drinking water. Is there a way to hook up a well pump to solar or wind power?? Thank you and this site rocks! Lena & kids
Great post!