View Full Version : would you live like it was the year 1800
Seriously. Living off of the land.Growing and making everything that you need from the earth and nature. Find a little cave somewhere in the west mid west and spend the rest of time given . SWM companion 60 t0 65 able to climb mountains,swim rivers and lakes.
Take a bath once a week or a month. Watch children and people die of a sickness that today are totally preventable. Work 7 days a week in a coal mine. I volunteer at Calaveras Big Trees we talk about the 1850s when the big trees were discovered. It is amazing what people went through than. I would not want to live like that.
It was/is all the state of thought, geography and education. Some lived very well in comfortable surroundings with servants, ample food and conveniences.
The 1800's were as turbulent as now but full of possibilities and adventure.
The individual could/did find an outlet for imagination and desire to explore.
I suspect that eventually future generations will live similarly to the 1800's as the cheap readily accessible fossil fuel supply becomes limited and cost-prohibitive but we will still have the strength of thought and imagination plus education/knowledge to find solutions as they did before. It will be a huge change to the Megamansions, SUV's, AC and central heat but many people did live quite well in the 1800's.
We have been over-run with processed foods and materialistic junk mindset that holds us in our slave cubicle labour as 'paper pushers'. How many of us would actually do real manual work, I wonder?
We have been over-run with processed foods and materialistic junk mindset that holds us in our slave cubicle labour as 'paper pushers'. How many of us would actually do real manual work, I wonder?
The number of paper pushers in wealthy societies today is a historical anomaly. The physical jobs that office workers supported in the past have largely been exported or automated, but automation of office tasks hasn't caught up yet.
Most office work doesn't add much value, and the ranks of cubicle-dwellers will be drastically reduced within a generation. Even as an engineer, I spend about half my time on tasks that would better be automated. Standardized data flows from manufacturers and vendors to users of what components make up a product and what supplies (with usage rates), parts (with expected lifetimes-enabling predictive maintenance), and accessories are needed to support the product would probably leave me out of a job.
An engineer co-worker said recently that most of the office staff in our organization is one software change from unemployment. While I don't think it's quite that simple, the trend is clear. Most cubicle dwellers will follow the keypunch operators and file clerks they shared office space with a generation ago into obsolescence.
Seriously. Living off of the land.Growing and making everything that you need from the earth and nature. Find a little cave somewhere in the west mid west and spend the rest of time given . SWM companion 60 t0 65 able to climb mountains,swim rivers and lakes.
Returning to the original poster's question, while I meet many of the qualifications, I am
1. Married:)
2. Brown-thumbed (see screen name)
3. A bit too young:moon:
4. Reasonably comfortable in an early 21st Century urbanized environment:treadmill:
I'm a "paper pusher", though I'd change that to a "pixel-pusher"; and a laborer. I get satisfaction from both - and in my mid-50's, having trashed my knees when I was a commercial farmer, I can no longer do the level of labor I want to, so I depend upon my husband for the heavy lifting. He's a bench builder by day, and even though he's younger, he is starting to feel the physical impacts of years of labor.
I would not go back to the 1800's per se, but appreciate the qualities of being able to raise some food, be outside, and be physical. FYIW, no one is truly "self-sufficient". We are a congregate species; we all depend upon each other.
As Carl Sagan said, "In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."
I am too lazy to do any of that. Were I somehow transported back to those times, I would surely die in short order.
Only through a challenge. (Like a reality TV show or something along the lines of that).
I would have died many years ago from asthma if I were living in 1800.
Lets see... as a woman I would be the property of someone else with no legal rights to own land in my name, vote, work outside of the home, or divorce from my hubby (although he could easily divorce me and leave me homeless and penniless). I could be raped or beaten daily by my spouse with no legal consequences to him. I could be raped or beaten daily by my father with no legal consequences to him. I must do exactly what my parents wish at all times since childern are also "property" with no legal rights. I couldn't just go off on my own -ever. Couldn't travel unsupervised or unescorted. I would most likely be married off at the ripe old age of 13 only to die in childbirth at the riper old age of 18 or so after numorous births. I'd probably watch half or more of my children die of some horrible disease. I would be expected to work dawn to dusk and then late into each night doing endless mind boggling boring chores - only to awaken the next day and do them all again. i would be illeterate (OK so I am already ;-)!!), have no education what so ever - and no opportunity to ever get one. All sounds sooo romantic and fun!
Spartana just think how nice it would have been to be a black woman. Those were the good old days what a line of crap!
Wow, I hope we didn't run off the original poster!!!:|(
Okay! Now that we have answered that question. Alot of negativity. I find that often. The second part of that question is, Would you live like it was 1800 with the technology of today? I live what is considered by most "primative". I only have grid electric service during the winter through a prepaid service. I go to the library when transportation is available.I recycle water,"gray" water to water my garden and yard,flush my toilet. I have lights,12 volt,my radio is capable of running non stop 24hr-365 free now. I have tv also 12 volt. I grow a few items. Area not condusive to growing ground hard ws a horse pasture.When was working not enough time on unemployment not enough money. The hardest part is most things it takes two,like bleeding the brakes on the vehicle to repair them.I am 61. I am in almost good shape. Have some medical most my family would be 6 under before my age. I have worked as a machinist for over 30 years and it is not sitting at a desk. Whole bunch of walking and lifting. I am planning to retire this year so I can work in the garden as much as I can increase my crop.City gives away mulch which I am usually at work. Had been without a vehicle for 5 years. Now have a van and a bus. Bus is going to be my home in a couple years. When I get done at the home i am in now remodel and garden. I plan to tavel this country and see what I have not. I also plan to create gardens with veggies and flowers that will grow and regrow each spring. I have a garden of volunteer from seeds left from previous gardens. a Setis version of Johnny Appleseed. So who wants to live Like it was the year 1800 today.
Actually, my idea of the best time & place to live is exactly where I am, 800 years ago. The pacific Northwest tribes lived very well. They worked an average of 10 hours a week each, and the rest of the time was spent making culture & community life richer - carving, weaving, singing, storytelling, making babies, eating really well, celebrating various events. Their diet was incredible; salmon, tons of wild foods, such as thimble berries, salmon berries, lots of mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, camas roots in some areas (notably Bae's home place of Orcas Island, where the annual camas harvest was a gathering of tribes and great celebrations, cross-tribe marriages, etc.), and other forage & game. Gender roles and governance were balanced, and the community life was complex. Sounds like heaven to me!
Now there you go. I knew there was someone out there who knew what I was talking about. Life during the caveman days was hard, but they did what they knew. Today is hard,but,with the technology we have today. You take the best of back then and add the good of today.Walla Paridise.
This is a fun thread! As for the 'second part' you mention, Setis, absolutely, I most definitely (positively) would live in the 1800's with but a few of our modern day technologies made available to us, and what an exciting and healthy life it would be!
Redfox truly touches on a good number of things I had in mind as to the benefits of living during such an era. (Just pondering what sort of additional modern day conveniences/technologies I'd like to see made available to me during this time).
Electricity.
Washing machine.
Cook stove.
Refrigerator.
Lights.
Okay! Now that we have answered that question. Alot of negativity. I find that often. The second part of that question is, Would you live like it was 1800 with the technology of today? I live what is considered by most "primative". I only have grid electric service during the winter through a prepaid service. I go to the library when transportation is available.I recycle water,"gray" water to water my garden and yard,flush my toilet. I have lights,12 volt,my radio is capable of running non stop 24hr-365 free now. I have tv also 12 volt. I grow a few items. Area not condusive to growing ground hard ws a horse pasture.When was working not enough time on unemployment not enough money. The hardest part is most things it takes two,like bleeding the brakes on the vehicle to repair them.I am 61. I am in almost good shape. Have some medical most my family would be 6 under before my age. I have worked as a machinist for over 30 years and it is not sitting at a desk. Whole bunch of walking and lifting. I am planning to retire this year so I can work in the garden as much as I can increase my crop.City gives away mulch which I am usually at work. Had been without a vehicle for 5 years. Now have a van and a bus. Bus is going to be my home in a couple years. When I get done at the home i am in now remodel and garden. I plan to tavel this country and see what I have not. I also plan to create gardens with veggies and flowers that will grow and regrow each spring. I have a garden of volunteer from seeds left from previous gardens. a Setis version of Johnny Appleseed. So who wants to live Like it was the year 1800 today.
Well my friends think I do :-)! I live a very spartan lifestyle with no TV, no internet access (use the free library), ride my bike everywhere, nothing fancy or unneeded. BUT, I don't like things that are a hassle - like growing my own food or doing anything that requires alot of fuss. Small apt in the city would be my thing - walking distance to all resources, farmers markets,library, medical, andshops, entertainment, anything that I need. Easy to clean, low utilities and very low environmental footprint. Hop on the bike, bus, train or compact car to get out into the country and beyond. Living off the grid and back to the land is VERY unappealing to me - too much work for me :-) ! Glad we live in an era that allows me to live the way I want and be able to take advantage of all the technology and resources available without having to actually do all that work myself! And I wasn't trying to be negative - just realistic about how life was in the 1800s - tough and deadly.
Well I have a self designed solar system. Purchased products.191 watts. I have radio that runs 24-7 and other than initial costs.Now FREE; lights,tv,refrigeration all 12 volt.Working on washing machine.Solar heat and solar water heater.Saving for my composting toilet needs no water and can use waste on flower garden. Not brave enough to use on compost for garden even though that is what happens to the sludge that is proessed at your local sewer treatment plants.By the time get my bus done I will be so self sufficient it may be made against the law. Then with permission I just might visit those in the USA bus won't float.
setis - your set up sounds great! I spent years living aboard small ships while in the Coast Guard and we had everything completely recycled. Made our own water, power, etc.. No electric or faucetts out there on the high seas! Helped make me more self sufficant even though I choose to live on the grid.
SimonGoodwin
9-29-11, 9:25am
As Carl Sagan said, "In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."
^Only the best quote ever!
The idea of living in the 1800s is nice but the realitly is a little grim... and short.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005140.html <- Life Expectancy by Age, 1850–2004
margerymermaid
10-10-11, 12:05am
Interesting thread. My only experience living this way was in the 1970s where myself and then husband built and lived in a little A frame a half mile off the road in the North East US. The winters are harsh there, but we had a wood stove that we used for heat and cooking and only had a hole in the ground for a toilet (!) We carried our water in but did have a place to go to shower and wash clothes, so that was a cheat. We did grow all our own food including wheat which I made bread from and we even made maple syrup one time. It was so delicious. But then a baby came along and it got more and more difficult. I got stuck in a snow drift one afternoon while holding the baby and not long after that we moved closer to the road to an apartment. But it was a great experience for a year or two. I do remember one time we had a really bad torrential rains and I was convinced the A frame was going to float away carrying me and the baby. I was terrified while my then husband just laughed at me! I guess I was a bit overly anxious. Now that I'm 61 I can see the romance in it but the thing I would miss most is running water. I love to be able to clean my teeth (the ones I have left) and take a bath every day!
I remember watching Frontier House and one of the women and her daughters were besides themselves over not being able to bring cosmetics along. Actually in tears over this.
No, I wouldn't want to go back. Plumbing and anesthesia are high on my list in terms of quality of life. I'm too scarred from watching a show about John Adams and learning his daughter had breast cancer surgery without anesthesia.
Heck, no! Jeez, live in a time of legal slavery, inability to vote or have a bank account, and have to wear dresses and bonnets all the time? No tampons or indoor running water? No contraception? Doctors not knowing they ought to wash their hands before delivering babies, hence greatly increasing my risk of dying in childbirth? OTC snake oil medicines laced with cocaine, alcohol, and sometimes heroin? FORGET IT!
Marianne
10-10-11, 10:07pm
Okay! Now that we have answered that question. Alot of negativity. I find that often. The second part of that question is, Would you live like it was 1800 with the technology of today? I live what is considered by most "primative". I only have grid electric service during the winter through a prepaid service. I go to the library when transportation is available.I recycle water,"gray" water to water my garden and yard,flush my toilet. I have lights,12 volt,my radio is capable of running non stop 24hr-365 free now. I have tv also 12 volt. I grow a few items. Area not condusive to growing ground hard ws a horse pasture.When was working not enough time on unemployment not enough money. The hardest part is most things it takes two,like bleeding the brakes on the vehicle to repair them.I am 61. I am in almost good shape. Have some medical most my family would be 6 under before my age. I have worked as a machinist for over 30 years and it is not sitting at a desk. Whole bunch of walking and lifting. I am planning to retire this year so I can work in the garden as much as I can increase my crop.City gives away mulch which I am usually at work. Had been without a vehicle for 5 years. Now have a van and a bus. Bus is going to be my home in a couple years. When I get done at the home i am in now remodel and garden. I plan to tavel this country and see what I have not. I also plan to create gardens with veggies and flowers that will grow and regrow each spring. I have a garden of volunteer from seeds left from previous gardens. a Setis version of Johnny Appleseed. So who wants to live Like it was the year 1800 today.
I'm with ya! Right now we're doing the self sufficient thing, never worked so hard in our lives, but we've never been happier! We're also kicking around the idea of selling the house eventually and doing some kind of full time RV'ing.
margerymermaid,
Wow that was an adventure! I really do envy you for having that time to remember. Did you do this for the experience or financial reasons? How did you family/friends react to your life style?
Would I like to live this way forever, no. Modern things are needed and life has been extended because of them like you said. I will say as a Dreamer, I would like to try it for a summer in the rural area up north. Just to see how I do, would I cave and quit? Or would I at the end of summer say to myself I Did IT! Notice I say summer, winter would be brutal with snow and frozen river, I would cave first night!
I try small goals often for myself, they are drastic changes in one daily process. I set a time frame one week/one month. l do this to see IF I can do them if I "had" to in life. I have not failed yet, most I go back to my old ways, some I keep and never look back. Husband never jumps on board with my "silly" goals. So since there are two of us, I can hang up the idea of drastic changes.
HappyHiker
10-21-11, 8:50am
Great topic...the premise is one that may come to pass if we continue to exhaust our resources and our population keeps growing (anyone read the book, "Overshoot?"). With more natural disasters (floods in Thailand now destroying vast crops of rice, for example), we soon may need to become much more self-sufficient and live more simply.
My new Kindle sci-fi post-apocalyptic novel, Falling Through Time, explores this topic. An accidental time traveler from 2012 finds herself in a future world of 2084. Her new community has been founded by immigrants from the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists, so they're technologically sophisticated, but deliberately simple in their small footprint lifestyle. They've selected the best and discarded the rest of the noise and clutter.
And yes, I think living close to nature and the land with some of the mod cons and growing some of our food so it's "clean" and not genetically modified, has much appeal. Paramount for me, personally, would be a certain level of comfort in cold, wet, and hot weather, and the ability to take a hot shower a couple of times a week. And community...community with other people is crucial to my mental and social well-being. A big supply of books and music-making would be necessary. TV could go by the wayside. Videos would be nice...but making your own entertainment/activities by contra-dancing, music-making, group canning, quilting, barn-raising type activities would be cool.
Hope you find the right partner, OP. I'm already in a committed relationship. I bet she's out there for you...
Plumbing and anesthesia are high on my list in terms of quality of life. I'm too scarred from watching a show about John Adams and learning his daughter had breast cancer surgery without anesthesia.
That was the first thing that I thought of when I read the topic.
Surgery without anesthesia would be a deal breaker for me.
catherine
10-21-11, 2:43pm
Because I truly feel we need to backpedal as a civilization, I do sometimes feel like I would like to just go back to the pre-industrialized basics. Of course, I am not willing to trade off the benefits of modern society to do that, really.
One of the things I like about Peace Pilgrim is that she so clearly illustrated what people really "need." She lived very happily with a toothbrush in her pocket and rubber soles on her feet. She said she stopped getting sick when she escaped the rat race. She had purpose and drive. And she was killed, ironically, by a car.
So, the question is, not would you want to go back in time, but what are you willing to give up in order to derive the benefits of that way of life? No one says we have to live in a 2,000 square foot home, that we have to have a car, that we have to be stressed at our jobs. There are no victims here, only volunteers.
The difficulty is in the choices, IMHO.
Short answer is NO!
Being a Mormon, I have always joked about being a handcart pioneer -- "Bro. Brigham, Iowa looks really good, dotcha think -- I heard they can grow good corn here"! In otherwords I would have not been a very good pioneer to the Salt Lake Valley. To this day I am not fond of camping and I think that is the closest thing we have today that sorta resembles living in the 1800's.!
Love reading everyone's entries/thoughts!
sweetana3
10-31-11, 6:43am
There are Amish groups (not all ) which still are very conservative and live without electricity, powered equipment, etc. They make their own clothes (purchase cloth), store self grown food, use horses, etc. They are located all over the US and in several foreign countries, wherever they can find land to grow food. As in the 1800s, they have found that community and shared resources was most helpful to the individual and family. It is interesting to research how they do it and how they strive to stay outside of the "English" labor saving life.
flowerseverywhere
10-31-11, 8:57am
while it is true that women could not own property in the US and had few rights, Boston had compulsory education. They also had stocks and a whipping post. If it was 1800 in London and your parents died of Pestilence then you would be turned out on the streets even as a young child. Gangs of begging children roamed the streets of London but in the US there were Orphan asylums or you would be given to a farm family for labor if they wanted you (risky I know, some turned out quite well, others abused). Not everyone were farmers, though. There were many servants to the rich people, bankers, and bakeries, shipbuilders and repairers, blacksmiths, potters, cooks, silversmiths, fishermen, merchants and seamstresses. If you made it to the shores of the East Coast of the US you could set off for the new frontier, the west, pretty much by walking across the country, which took a year or two.
If you were African American in the southern US, you were probably a slave as 20% of the US population were slaves. Your fate largely depended on your owner. Some were kind, some were brutal.
If you were native American, you started seeing settlers come into your area with their puzzling customs, such as killing more than you can eat, and other non sustainable ways of life.
Life expectancy was much lower as many children died in childbirth and infancy.
So I would not want to live like it was 1800.
As an avid gardener I find that trying to produce a large quantity of my own food is quite difficult, but I have many skills, such as sewing and baking that I could use to barter. I think many of the people here are seeking a way to live a simpler, gentler life, but I think I would prefer a life more like the 50's in the US. Not perfect, but much simpler and idealistic.
Sweetana3
In our area up north we have few differing groups of Amish. They are much more classic then farther south groups. Differing each other by shirt colors. Some are very old time, others use propane. What I have found is no matter how old school the groups are they all seem to know how to make and sell, construction, for cash from the rest of us. Also Medical needs, most Mothers seem to understand the need to get the children the medical care they need. One little boy two years ago had cancer and had to be in U of M for a great period of time, which we were all thankfull for. So we can say they shun modern ways, but really it is only to a point. I have always found that interesting. The buggies in the Mcdonalds drive through, now that is strange to me.
flowerseverywhere
10-31-11, 12:15pm
Sweetana3
In our area up north we have few differing groups of Amish. They are much more classic then farther south groups. Differing each other by shirt colors. Some are very old time, others use propane. What I have found is no matter how old school the groups are they all seem to know how to make and sell, construction, for cash from the rest of us. Also Medical needs, most Mothers seem to understand the need to get the children the medical care they need. One little boy two years ago had cancer and had to be in U of M for a great period of time, which we were all thankfull for. So we can say they shun modern ways, but really it is only to a point. I have always found that interesting. The buggies in the Mcdonalds drive through, now that is strange to me.
I have seen the same with the Amish groups. One day I saw a buggy at the drive through atm, which I thought was quite funny. Also, if you go to largely Amish areas, you will see many instances of melding with modern ways. One farm has big electric refrigerated coolers for the meat pies they sell for example. But I don't see how they can survive with taxes and the price of land unless they give in - many years ago there was plentiful land for free or very low cost and if you had a large family you could all live off the land. Those days are long gone with our current world population.
Instead of thinking "going BACK to the 1800's", why not think, what would the world (this world, present time) be like without cheap oil? Wait, that has already been done, several fiction books by Kunstler - World Made by Hand series of books (http://www.kunstler.com/books.php).
So, while you might still have the equalities of life, and the technologies of this time, you might not be able to use them because of the expense of energy. If there was no oil, or extremely expensive oil, then you also would not have all of the nice amenities that we have now.
Thereby, we'd be going back to the 1800's in agriculture, transportation, medicines/health care, communication, housing, energy, and education, but living in the 2000's.
Gardenarian
11-3-11, 3:26pm
Thanks ljevtich! I just ordered the "World Made by Hand" from my library.
You might also like S.M. Stirling's "Emberverse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emberverse_series)" series
I've been living like its 1800 all week due to no power, and I can say: IT SUCKS. At least nowadays, there's the library for internet access. :laff:
herbgeek, The second I mean the second the power goes out we all feel like we have to wash hands, go to the bathroom, (well goes out with no power), open the fridge and feel cold or hot and disconnected from the outside world.
I hope James Howard Kunstler spends his eternity in 1800, personally, since he seems to be so fervently longing for its return. >:(
And no, I haven't the faintest desire to live any time but now. And maybe 50 years from now, which isn't likely.
Could I? Sure. Would I? No. Not having the choice. People create conveniences because some things are just plain unpleasant or difficult. Chamberpot? No thanks. Just had my bathroom remodeled and had to use a porta potty for 4 days I HATED it. And no bath/shower. No. I wouldn't. I'm spoiled rotten.
Lets see... as a woman I would be the property of someone else with no legal rights to own land in my name, vote, work outside of the home, or divorce from my hubby (although he could easily divorce me and leave me homeless and penniless). I could be raped or beaten daily by my spouse with no legal consequences to him. I could be raped or beaten daily by my father with no legal consequences to him. I must do exactly what my parents wish at all times since childern are also "property" with no legal rights. I couldn't just go off on my own -ever. Couldn't travel unsupervised or unescorted. I would most likely be married off at the ripe old age of 13 only to die in childbirth at the riper old age of 18 or so after numorous births. I'd probably watch half or more of my children die of some horrible disease. I would be expected to work dawn to dusk and then late into each night doing endless mind boggling boring chores - only to awaken the next day and do them all again. i would be illeterate (OK so I am already ;-)!!), have no education what so ever - and no opportunity to ever get one. All sounds sooo romantic and fun!
And unfortunately, that is a pretty accurate analysis.
I've thought up some other things I remember from my childhood during the Great Depression and WW2 -
Babies: newborns were taken care of in a nursery by RNs. They were brought to their moms every 4 hours to feed them and then taken back to the nursery until the next time. They were bundled up in a blanket like a little mummy--no way to count their fingers and toes until we took them home. We were kept in the hospital for 7 days until the nurses thought we were ready to go home. There were no bassinets, car seats, even safety belts hadn't been invented, we just laid them down on the front seat.
I sewed all their baby clothes, before they were born, on an 1899 model Singer treadle sewing machine, which my grandma had passed on to my mother and then to me. There were no disposables, no plastic pants to put over the diapers, I knit their sweaters, socks, bonnets, booties, etc. I learned how to darn socks I had knitted, which made them strong enough to wear for another year or so, to be passed down to their younger brothers, and even knit argyle socks for my husband.
All our food was organic, since Monsanto hadn't yet discovered that spraying with chemicals would make our fruits and veggies last longer. We had several fruit trees in our back yard--cherries, plums, pears, apples, crabapples. All our baking was made from scratch, even bread, which smelled so delicious to come home to after school to eat for a snack with a glass of homongenized milk, brought to us every day in glass bottles by a milkman in a buggy pulled by a horse.
Our food was kept in a cooler in the pantry before we got a fridge. We also had an ice chest which the iceman brought blocks of ice to put in it to keep our meat and dairy products cold.
When we wanted to play with our friends, we stood outside on the sidewalk to call their names as loud as we could, and sooner or later their mother would come out and tell her daughter I was outside and wanted to play with her.
More next time...
and my answer is still NO. :)
Yeah, I don't think I could do it.
Revisiting this post again. Lizii groing up in the 60-70s many of those items were true then in those years, minus the horse,ice chest and cooler. 60-70s still life seemed so much easier then now, but I was a kid/teen. I suppose my folks had the same stresses I have now. I loved the memory of standing outside yelling for my friend to come outside. I wonder what year that stopped? My kids never did it in the 80s.
I have had stess in my life the last 6 months and running away and living like 1800s sounds good sometimes. Alas I know I would replace the stress with something else.
More memories...
I didn't take math (arithmetic) after I started high school because I switched over to learn typing, shorthand and bookkeeping (disastrous). It turned out to be exactly what I was good at, and I was happy to work in offices to use my skills.
It was a good thing I did it, since my skills were always welcome at every office I worked in. In fact, I can still use shorthand to write down notes to myself. I was also a whizz at typing. By the time I returned to college in my early 40s both skills came right back. I never had a problem due to my age, in fact I think employers appreciated mature people since we had far more life eperience than younger people.
My dad was a motorman on the streetcars before he joined the RCAF during WW2. When he returned after the war, he got his job back again until he retired.
I was never refused a job after all the years I'd spent at home taking care of my children. In fact I think that my maturity helped me get jobs, since I'd had more experiences by living longer than the younger girls had. I was also past the age of getting pregnant, so they knew I wouldn't be taking time off to care for my children. In fact, they fired one young secretary because she'd had two pregnancies in a row, and she was already pregnant with her thirld child.
Originally posted by Ctg492.
I loved the memory of standing outside yelling for my friend to come outside.And being called by our parents to come in for lunch, supper, bedtime. I miss those days...
Instead of retreating, couldn't we find a way to take the best of what we have today and reject the worst of it, and marry the old with the new?
So we could keep things like:
-the internet (I really believe that is has the power to transform us to the good)
-our collective intelligence about art and science
-washing machines and Keurig coffeemakers
-service-oriented careers
-efforts that give us hope that we can regenerate the earth
And we could reject:
-bigger meaning better
-"needs" like Fruit Loops and 20 pairs of shoes
-fear of tomorrow
-ego-pumping careers
-activities that degenerate the self and the earth
And we could bring back:
-community (without provincial thinking)
-simple pleasures (with an appreciation for them this time around)
-Dobie Gillis and Dr. Kildare :)
-
Nope, I refuse to use an outhouse, would miss my dyson, my maytag washing machine and dryer, my internet/computer/nook, central air, comfy bed, and power tools!
Originally posted by Catherine.
Instead of retreating, couldn't we find a way to take the best of what we have today and reject the worst of it, and marry the old with the new?My way of thinking exactly. :)
thunderseed
8-16-15, 2:00am
Yep, I would. For real! But I love camping and wilderness adventures.
And I know I'm the only person in here who said yes lol. Funny comments in this thread. Everyone here seems to be allergic to the outdoors, but living off the land is as minimal and as simple as you can get! It's going back to simple basics. No technology, just being in nature.
Tussiemussies
8-16-15, 2:49am
They had a series on this on TV where people would live as if it was a certain time period. I think it was the early to mid 1800s. Life was so very hard then. Every single thing had to be made by hand. I don't think there was leisure time. The few episodes I watched the people didn't seem too happy about their current situation. One woman was totally exhausted because of the level of work she had to do. This is not a fact, but I think some people died early from years of overwork and exhaustion (sp?).
They had a series on this on TV where people would live as if it was a certain time period. I think it was the early to mid 1800s. Life was so very hard then. Every single thing had to be made by hand. I don't think there was leisure time. The few episodes I watched the people didn't seem too happy about their current situation. One woman was totally exhausted because of the level of work she had to do. This is not a fact, but I think some people died early from years of overwork and exhaustion (sp?).
One of those series was filmed near where I live and one of the people probably would have died if it was actually that time period. They had to pull him out and put him the hospital, I think. I'm sure people died of overwork, as just like now some people are just physically hardier than others. And some situations are worse than others.
I'll take our optional back to the land any day.
thunderseed
8-16-15, 3:35pm
It isn't as hard as you would imagine.... And I'm not talking about civilization in the 1800's when they actually still had houses and certain luxuries, I'm referring more to what it would have been like for tribal people who actually lived off the land and hunted instead of growing agriculture. If you know how to survive in the wilderness it is very easy and is the simplest and most gratifying way you could ever live. It really makes you appreciate every little thing, every meal, every experience and every day, the gratitude learned out there is more than you'd ever feel in a modern world of instant gratification where everything is handed to you. When you are out there you realize life is fragile, you don't have the stresses, the responsibilities of hectic, modern life, you are forced instead to live in the moment and be meditative, focusing only on your natural surroundings, finding food, making shelter, in other words the way of life is pure bliss. You may think all it entails is overworking and exhaustion, and surely most people are rather shocked to find out that the reality is that a large part of your time would be spent doing absolutely nothing. See, in this world we are constantly doing things, but out there you may just end up trapped in a wilderness shelter for days on end just waiting for a storm to pass. This is one thing many people cannot handle because they are afraid to be alone with themselves, so used to distractions in modern society. After you've set up a shelter and caught your food, there is often nothing else to do but be still in nature. It is very peaceful and a great time to get to know yourself. Even hunting and fishing itself in reality often requires a long time of just sitting there, waiting. I am physically fit so exploring long distances does not exhaust me, and even exploring in itself is quite meditative. You live every moment in the moment out there... It's a lot more simple and peaceful than modern life for sure. The fact is out there, you can die from a simple infection if you don't know how to care for it properly so you really have to be careful, and it's not like being careful and more focused on survival is a bad thing.
And the fact is that people are dying early from overworking, exhaustion and stress now. It happens all the time, modern life is chaotic, but the thing is, a lot of people are completely sedentry and inactive, yet they are still stressed out all the time with their first world problems. I mean just think about it, people don't say "I'm going camping because I want to overwork myself"... they say, "I want to go camping because I want to relax, escape the hardships of my work life, have fun and go on a vacation for a bit."
Ultralight
8-17-15, 7:48am
I think I'd be okay with living in the Pacific Northwest as an indigenous person in the year 1000, but 1800? No way!
I do enjoy when the power goes out for a few hours I take out the candles...lol sorry was tempted to write that.:|(
During Hurricane Sandy we "roughed it" for four days with candles. I bathed by standing in the shower with a bucket of hot water and rinsing soap off with cupfuls of the water. Our evening entertainment was an AM radio station from Ontario---they played old music from the 30s and 40s, then a comedy show (one was Baby Snooks), then a longer serious one. On Halloween it was War of the Worlds. Except for losing most of our frozen food, I actually enjoyed those 4 days. Any longer would not have been fun.
happystuff
12-27-15, 9:34am
Nice thread. My answer is also "no" to going back, but am continually striving for a simplier lifestyle today and into my future.
1800? Simple pleasures, virgin nature, inner and outer harmony – sounds romantic.
However, I wouldn’t want to live in 1800 and be a woman.
I wouldn’t want to be a woman with limited freedom or its complete absence, a young but exhausted mother to 6 children, a woman who lost her husband in the war with Great Britain, a woman who was trapped in poverty with the hope that some farmer would marry me and become a father for my children. I wouldn’t want to be a cleaning woman, a versatile worker, a laundress, who in return receives neither love, nor tenderness, nor care, nor kind words.
I know that our time has many shortcomings, but being an integrated, independent personality with the ability to build my life, to love and be loved is more important for me.
So, being a woman and living in 1800? No thanks. I’d rather live and be a woman in 2020.
I'm in full agreement, Gloriana.
Thank you for sharing your opinion, rosarugosa.
Hi Gloriana, it is always fun to have some of the old threads revived and consider in today's context. I agree with you summary.
happystuff
9-3-20, 12:04pm
I don't know that I care so much about the when but definitely care about the independent woman!!!
Nice post, Gloriana. And welcome!
1800? Simple pleasures, virgin nature, inner and outer harmony – sounds romantic.
However, I wouldn’t want to live in 1800 and be a woman.
I wouldn’t want to be a woman with limited freedom or its complete absence, a young but exhausted mother to 6 children, a woman who lost her husband in the war with Great Britain, a woman who was trapped in poverty with the hope that some farmer would marry me and become a father for my children. I wouldn’t want to be a cleaning woman, a versatile worker, a laundress, who in return receives neither love, nor tenderness, nor care, nor kind words.
I know that our time has many shortcomings, but being an integrated, independent personality with the ability to build my life, to love and be loved is more important for me.
So, being a woman and living in 1800? No thanks. I’d rather live and be a woman in 2020.
Probably why---in the old photos we see --- the women look so old, and they're never smiling.
ApatheticNoMore
9-3-20, 1:40pm
Well yea those with a primitive fantasy are almost always men, it would be a lot harder on women than they can imagine.
There was a reason women became nuns.
There was a reason women became nuns.
I've long thought I'd have had to be a spinster school marm back in those times, since the idea of non-stop pregnancy has no appeal for me. Then I thought a dance-hall girl or madam might be just the ticket, birth-control issues notwithstanding. Little Housewife on the Prairie is my bête noire for sure.
There was a reason women became nuns.
That probably would have been me.
The question isn't "would you want to go back in time to 1800": it's "would you live LIKE it was the year 1800?"
Anyone can go out and live off the grid and/or homestead today and it might look a lot like 1800. They can return to modern civilization if they choose to. I like that choice. If there were a challenge like that I would accept it for a month or so. Why not? It might be fun and very instructive.
Interesting thoughts, Catherine.
That probably would have been me.
The question isn't "would you want to go back in time to 1800": it's "would you live LIKE it was the year 1800?"
Anyone can go out and live off the grid and/or homestead today and it might look a lot like 1800. They can return to modern civilization if they choose to. I like that choice. If there were a challenge like that I would accept it for a month or so. Why not? It might be fun and very instructive.
Actually, there was. Frontier House on PBS. I think the year being lived was 1887???
Teacher Terry
9-4-20, 1:34pm
I am too big a pussy.
Really the Amish/some Mennonites are the closest we have to how our ancestors lived. They do have propane powered fridges, but other than that, I’m not sure how much modern technology they use, even for businesses. It really depends on the specific group.
Teacher Terry
9-4-20, 2:37pm
You are right Tradd. Ever since I have learned that they have the biggest cruelest puppymills I won’t buy anything they make and have been getting the word out on social media. I have friends on the East coast where they are big trying to get them shutdown.
The other problem is the very high rate of sexual abuse within Amish communities. A few groups are starting to address it, but it’s everywhere. Lots incest/rape.
I don’t think of them as wonderful people, like I used to before I knew.
Teacher Terry
9-4-20, 3:47pm
Tammy, I had no idea. Ugh!
Yep, knew both those things about the Amish.
I also heard this about the Amish.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a30284631/amish-sexual-abuse-incest-me-too/
My ancestors came to northwest Ohio in the 1840s from the Alsace Lorraine area of Germany/France. They were Amish until late 1800s, at which time they transitioned to the Amish-Mennonite church, and then in about 1930 transitioned to the Mennonite church name. But all that means is that they progressed very slowly toward modernity, while the Amish progressed not at all.
In the 1970s, when I was a teenager, we were finally allowed to pluck eyebrows, wear pants, go to G/PG movies, and participate in music and sports in the public school. It was still slightly suspect to pierce ears, wear immodest clothing, or go to other places where we could be tempted (bowling, restaurants that had an alcohol license, etc). No dancing at all. I attended 4 proms (had older boyfriends that took me when I was in 9th and 10th grade) but never danced. Women could not be elders or pastors. College was a scary place with new ideas, so it was encouraged to only go to the Mennonite colleges if you go at all.
Today there are openly gay pastors and female pastors in the church conference that I grew up in. Kids can dance. Wine is served openly with dinner. The change in one generation is astounding.
All of that to say that I understand the culture of the Amish. Both good and bad components. It’s heart breaking.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a30284631/amish-sexual-abuse-incest-me-too/
Thanks for the link, Tammy. Interesting article. I knew about the puppy mills but not the rape/incest issues.
Thanks for sharing the link, Tammy. Interesting.
Yesterday my wife flew home from visiting our daughter on the east coast for 2 weeks (helped them move). The last leg of her return trip was cancelled due to the smoke in Oregon, so she rented a car and headed home. She stopped in Washington and saw our other daughter and when she arrived home we went to visit our youngest daughter. She said that she was able to be in the homes of all three of our daughters in three different states in one day. Something those living in the 1800's probably didn't even imagine in their day. Simple things we take for granted - and enjoy.
Indeed, how wonderful that at any moment we can see our family and hug our loved ones. Such simple but such important things.
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