Confessions of a Half-Hearted Rebel
I admit: I struggle with following the path of full resistance
I'm acutely aware of the many political and societal injustices in our world, the economic and monetary frauds, the war machine that continues to chug along with full fury and laying waste to anything in its path. The more I peel back the veil behind the fabric of our world, the more I'm simultaneously disturbed and angry with how things 'work'.
If you're paying attention, outrage seems like a completely natural response. How can one not feel simultaneously furious and saddened by the predicament we find ourselves in?
Yet, I've admittedly spent the last eight years living with a certain level of cognitive dissonance. I've got one foot in the wild with passionate rebellion running through my veins, but I still have another foot stuck in the world of domestication, caught between what is 'practical' and what is actually possible.
The road to hell is often paved with convenience
Living an existence that is fully in line with one's beliefs and ideals is a dream we all aspire to on one level or another. But it's also one that is often inconvenient, difficult, or seemingly impractical.
We may have goals of living more sustainably, yet struggle to escape the oil-based economy. We may have the desire to work for ourselves, doing the thing that makes us the most satisfied, yet we end up working a 9-5 corporate job that leaves us drained and unfulfilled.
The structure of modern society is designed to make many of our dreams an arduous, difficult, and obstacle-laden process that drives the majority of the herd back in line. Want to build your own off-grid home? Get ready to fight the code-enforcers or be prepared to move to the boonies away from most of your modern conveniences. Want to stop feeding the war machine with your tax dollars? Be prepared to invite the wrath of the IRS.
I am someone who is often caught between the urge to fight and the urge to go along to get along, to do the 'safe' option and find a comfortable job that will allow me to go the traditional route of 'owning' a home and all the usual American dream bullshit. I sometimes envy those whose eyes are closed, longing to be put back asleep so the American dream can become believable again.
And then, I see those living a path of resistance and realize that's not feasible
Steemit is full of inspired outlaws, rebels with a cause and a will to make it a reality. Reading blogs from people such as @dbroze, @kennyskitchen, @mountainjewel, @adamkokesh, and others is both inspiring and humbling. The commitment these individuals display in pursuing their own version of a life unbounded by societal and family pressures is a reminder that this type of existence is possible and not merely some idealistic fantasy.
More so than any other community on the internet, Steemit has exposed me to a large group of homesteaders, anarchists, and activists who have created a map for those still searching for their next step.
It's not as if anyone of us can simply follow someone else's personal liberation instruction manual and get there with ease. We all have to walk our own path, figure out what works for us, realizing what sacrifices it will require and weighing decisions with our own personal obligations.
But learning from the experience of others is a huge element in our personal journey. It reduces isolation and alienation and makes us realize that a radically different existence is possible.
In the haze of modern life, with the sophisticated shepherds attempting to herd us back to the domesticated flock at every turn, we need the wild soul role models more than ever.
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I can relate to this as someone who has recently 'woken up' a few months ago.
Rebellion is a tall task and it's so easy to be complacent getting up and going to work everyday.
I find that questioning everything that is supposed to be the norm is comforting. Do we really have to work 9-5 everyday? Why? Do we really need to wait to retire at 60-65? Why?
We do not. We are capable of many things. This platform as you mention is full of those people. We as humans have the ability to have a greater influence on each other than we think.
I am biding my time doing the 'norm' for now but I will not subject myself to the false American dream for much longer. I will retire at much earlier than 60. I will end up doing what I want, when I want to.
I do plan on writing how to achieve these things (have started to already) on Steemit and feel others would be interested in the same.
I look forward to reading your posts on this subject, as I'm always seeking different perspectives and routes to take.
I enjoy Tim Ferriss' perspective regarding retirement, as he states that individuals should seek out many mini-retirements throughout their life, meaning a least one month off of their work in a different location, preferably more if possible.
This can be achieved either through enough passive income or a healthy savings account but is attainable if one works for it.
Yes! I loved the 4-hour work week, changed the way I work.
I did already write about how I feel the 401k is not the ideal way to retire:
https://steemit.com/retirement/@jdh7190/401k-was-never-meant-to-be-the-primary-vehicle-of-retirement
My friend, in my view the source of many problems, which are tormenting us, is our system. As a society we developed in a herd. A herd which is nothing without masters.
Man was free when he was a hunter gatherer. He was free when his tribe was small. But when he united as a society and came under the authority of state, since then he lost his independence. Authoritarian regime as well as in democratic states have maintained his slavery till now.
We developed as a society and had progressed profoundly by this union but it is also true that in that process we had to compromise our individual sovereignty.
We had an illusion for some time that we would be free and individual sovereignty would be restored once we have a chance to elect our representatives through election process, the backbone of the democratic system. But what democracy has done? It has turned into a tool which only serves the purpose of powerful. We have lost our independence because the notion of so called 'welfare nation' has deceived us because for everything we became dependent on the state. We are not free to roam wherever we want, whatever we want to do just because the boundaries of the nations and the system of the government has turned us into a tool which only servers the powerful elite.
Our over population is also the main cause of our suffering because it has increased the competition and struggle for living extensively. It has also given chances to our masters to control us. It is a very deep subject, hence, I cannot explain everything in a single comment. In one of my previous post, I had tried to discuss these issues. I will also wright on this matter in near future.
Thank you for sharing this viewpoint. I tend to agree regarding government/corporate dependence over our lives being a major element to our loss of freedom. Relying on individuals is ok, as long as the relationship is a voluntary act. Forced collective action leads to less individual freedom, furthering dependence on the state and centralizing power as a result.
Yes, we always dream for existence with our very own beliefs and ideas but there are man-made laws that in sometimes may hinder self- happiness. Sad for a reality that greedy people rise up and those law-abiding remains where they stand. SUPERLIKE the way you do the writings and the chosen words used.
Congratulation colinhoward! Your post has appeared on the hot page after 32min with 47 votes.
fantastic post colin and i'm sure many many people can relate. i especially loved this:
we certainly cannot follow anyone's path, but as you also say, we can use their example to further our own liberation. in the end, we each must strike that balance that lives out our ideals enough while also having "two feet on the ground" so to say in order to take care of our own needs.
there was definitely a "jumping off' point for me where i had so much built up energy inside that i just had to try it ... and had to take a jump into the deep end. not that everyone has to go there; i believe we each can work from where we are in life as we follow our inner impulses. much love and strength to you on the journey!! <3 (and thanks for the mention!!! <3)
Absolutely, you guys are a constant source of inspiration for the future homesteader in me ;) Finding the balance is probably an ongoing process that evolves over time.
definitely! none of us are exempt from that. even today we woke up on the homestead, a place we love and tend dearly, and thought "we don't want to work today!" so we're heading to arkansas to hike in the mountains. it's always a balancing act and re-creation is a necessity <3