Free-Range Living

(Occasional blog)

 'Observing Modern 'Day-to-Day'  Life ----- '

 As much as people these days often seem to want to avoid 'negativity', --- in reality both positive and negative situations can exist, as just looking around at world events can indicate ---- Here in the UK there are more then a few current (2024) 'problem areas' for good ol' so-called 'ordinary folk', and maybe the most effective longer-term route is to screw up courage a bit, face them, and then, 'shoulders to the wheel', aim to improve the situation - ?

   Richard Feynman, a renowned US scientist of the past, put it succinctly

 'Man has the key to the doorway of heaven ----- but it also fits the one to hell --- '

'Money matters ---- ' 

Take money for instance --- Money and money chasing  can seem to be what matters in this day and age - the Asian modern female saying of 'no money, no honey' encapsulating the financial flavour of the times.  Money - dosh, spondoolicks, geld - is of course something of a necessity living in a money economy - unlike, say, native American Indians who used to exist on the American prairies in subsistence mode, without money, and live close to nature - and some might say they weren't quite the 'savages' they were sometimes painted  -------- 

 Money was invented to facilitate trade exchange, but then seemed to take on a life of its own --- it certainly would seem to have an addictive element, as no doubt many who've experienced monetary reward linked directly to their work efforts, might attest. One US 'personal motivation' researcher, Prof. Fred Herzberg, used to refer to money 'bribes' to work, calling the process 'jumping for the jelly beans'. Some might say that such an expression might aptly describe our current western-style culture ------whilst also some may go further claiming that many are in 'thrall' to a 'money mania'---- ? Fred made   a useful point; that such financial incentivisation 'cut accross' personal internal motivation, and so potentially diminished people --- 

Reservations concerning the modern level of focus on money, 'flash', luxurious living and the 'in vogue' money/power focus can centre on the fact that other 'non-financial areas and values' (environment, compassion, well-being, loyalty, generosity of spirit, security, creativity, love, and so on) can then tend to be overshadowed, and so underdone. For the 'freeranger' type of soul particularly this also can include areas such as 'personal motivation', and  'personal spirituality'. Some have suggested that recent cultural conditions (here in the UK for instance), have for instance lead to people managing styles being more of the traditional 'theory X' variety, based on the notion that people need controlling by authority-style management, or need 'inducing/bribing'(generally via money rewards) to make work efforts, thereby byepassing opportunities for individuals to practice and display their own 'internal' motivation' drives, again, of no doubt particular relevance to 'freerangers' (and wider, longer-term national productivity?)

'Living issues ---- '

    Life here on the 'low money' geared organic micro-holding in the UK midlands has progressed relatively unmolested in spite of a seemingly endless series of on-going 'national community' problems : big rises in costs of living, for instance, on quite a few fronts - food, energy, rents, mortgages, insurances, and so on - causing significant problems to quite a few people and  small businesses - the number of British pubs (inns), for instance, is said to be diminishing by the day. Living in a money-geared economy means that if costs go up and there's then insufficient funds, there's then real existential problems ----The experience here on the micro-holding is that the partially self-sufficient and low-cost lifestyle has given some protection from these modern cultural ravages, with the (old fashioned - ?) policy of having reserve/back up supplies, of fuel, for instance, helping to ameliorate cost rises. The main fuel, wood, reserves probably amount to around three years supply, which along with supplies of bottled gas and smokeless fuel, all acquired at pre raised prices, all help to give a feel of 'practical security', and of not being totally at the mercy of the vagaries of 'the system', which can seem at times to be generally geared more to the benefit of its key players - ? 

Micro holding matters ---- 

On the growing side here at the eco organic micro--holding in the UK midlands, it's been a bit of a 'stop/start' growing season to now (end of September), with quite a bit of sun in mid summer but also plenty of cold air, which hasn't helped the job. The potatoes, for instance, have produced a lot of 'top' growth, to the detriment of the potato yield below ground. The star crop to date has been the onions, especially the autumn sown onion sets ('baby' onions),and in early August, quite early really, most of the onions, autumn planted and spring planted, are pulled up and hardening off in the top glasshouse - and plenty of sun here late July/early August. Calabrese,  runner beans and outdoor and indoor tomatoes have all done ok, runner beans though look as though they're going to stop cropping quite early -  and the broad beans have cropped well. Two problem areas have been peas and celery - some of the celery plants going to seed early and the peas becoming too overgrown with weeds - slapped hands to the grower there. 

More broad beans were sown in the autumn this year, as opposed to spring, and  produced strong and sturdy plants with plenty of early beans, mainly all going into the freezer. Even though it was an earlier crop than usual, and so mean't to be more free of the blackfly pest, that hasn't been the case - if anything there's been more of them this year - the wonders of nature --- Talking of which, where do these tiny little black flys suddenly pop up from? - not that they're too much of a problem as they then provide food for ladybirds, and if they get too much it's not too hard to 'rub them out' by hand, no 'nasty'( and expensive) chemicals needed ---- 

As usual, the bought wood supply arrived on the driveway earlier in the year, although this year as an anti energy cost rise measure, not so much was purchased and more will be used out of wood reserves on the place, a useful function of having reserve supplies ----  More winter veg has been sown and planted with the same cost countering aim in mind, and a planned change of car shelved given the current economic pressures. The usual problems with the 'out for self, screw the customer' approach of the bigger firms has materialised, this time with big rises in car insurance quotes, solved in the case of one motor by changing from fully comprehensive insurance to the third party only variety, taking more risk on but as the car in question wasn't too valuable, a reasonably sensible move ---- 

 The woodstore in the 'logs-istics' centre has been filling up quite nicely - as always giving a practical feeling off 'security', particularly as there's already nearly a winter's supply in there. As ever, maintenance work has been an order of the day over the last few weeks, bar a week's break in Anglesy in Wales in a well-built wooden chalet, and complete with red squirrels as neighbours - cracking little lively guys. The back of the cottage ('rural hovel') has got itself mostly repainted,  along with some needed gutter painting. When it did come a bit warmer, the electric bike was back in action, covering the five miles (eight kilometres) down to the local town a couple of times a week no problem, the route being virtually traffic free. The first leg is 1.5 miles down to the next village, very scenic and rarely meeting any vehicle. Then the old rail line is accessed - in three miles through greenery, probably only a couple of dog walkers met. Over a main road via an access point and then down a no-through road to the town centre, again rarely meeting a car. Can't be bad, and very pleasant and relaxing ---- A lot more countyside can be appreciated from a bike  ---

'Plutocracy - ok -- not ok?'              

There seems to have been quite a general feeling that for now a few years the country here has been run largely for the benefit for the wealthy and the key 'movers and shakers', with the so-called 'general public' getting not a good deal, maybe people need to be a liitle more aware that the general public do contribute quite a lot?  Some have said that there's a move towards 'plutoracy' (the rich and powerful running things, often to their own benefit,) and away from democracy, a trend which it could be argued seems to be happening more world-wide - ? When the general culture in a country is strongly geared to 'self'gain', as seems to be the case again more or less worldwide in westen-style cultures, courtesy of  'free market' type philosophy, then presumably there's always the risk of diminished democratic power, given the often implicit weaker focus on the society's needs  - ?

Looking further at society/community UK aspects, it can be difficult to get to see a doctor, and to sign on with a dentist, medical operations delay is reportedly significant and the 'out of work' benefits system problematical, with reports of disabled people experiencing problems and, worryingly, benefits allocated on some sort of rationing/targets type system.  The last decade or two 'mass culture' has focused strongly on 'individual gain', seemingly at the expense of social priorities, according to some, maybe then giving rise for a need for the balance that seems to be needed between individual and social priorities to be more considered - ? Some suggest that the strong emphasis on both 'self-gain' and  making money, maximising profits', for instance, has taken eyes of the longer-term balls, such as maintaining and renewing longer-term infrastructure - some schools for instance having had to close because of insufficient longer-term maintenance,  -------

 Some countries have shown a degree of vulnerability to problems filling national needs such as energy supplies, being considerably reliant on supplies from overseas, and here in the UK there is concern that many of the national resources have been privatised in line with political dogma, then inducing vulnerability, water supplies being a prime example with key shareholders from other countries receiving large dividend payouts to the reportedly detriment of needed longer-term re-investment, then causing major problems to the purity of national river and sea water supplies in general, due to raw sewage being outleted into them.

'National crises --- ?'

And then, to be even more into the 'negative sphere', there's been a series of national scandals, impacting severely negatively on so-called 'ordinary' citizens. There's been reported financial scandals involving hidden charges, there's currently a national scandal over people getting life-threatening conditions on receiving blood transfusions,  there's a major national scandal of  untreated sewage being discharged into rivers and seas over quite a period of time, again threatening the public's health and there's a further national scandal involving many postmasters having been jailed, fined and/or dismissed due to the Post Office's 'faulty' computer system. One or two have likened the UK's situation to a 'dystopia'  (the opposite of 'utopia', where everything is 'hunky dory' (good)), and, as above, questioned too whether or not the UK is transforming from a 'democracy' into a 'plutocracy' (the 'rich and powerful' 'pulling the strings') - ? 

Many people, especially older maybe, seem to be in process of 'head shaking', unable to completely come to terms with such a degree of national crisis --- . One of the key problem areas may be down to the strong ('over strong?') focus on money and money making allied to 'self gain' there seems to be nowadays, and according to some anyway, the 'limited vision' such a trend can induce. One example, being so prominenet, has appeared in these blogs before - the UK train company taken to task for cancelling a relatively high proportion of their (public service) trains, to then justify their actions by the unbelievable reason that paying the non-running fines was less costly to them than running the trains - the money angle seemingly resulting in them losing sight of their core function and purpose ---  A further example from the UK higher (university level) education sector was the imposition of a performance related pay scheme that demonstrated little or no understanding of the H.E sector or work area results, and made the wrong assumption that H.E lecturing staff had to be incentivised by money, ignoring a mainspring work factor for them, that of personal internal motivation, and then at the same time, instantly both disrespecting and seriously de-motivating staff. 

'Management often makes it hard for people to work'      (Peter Drucker, renowned American management consultant)

'Differing managing --- '

Heard on the radio back along a bit, a piece about a firm in the USA which had ditched 'management' altogether, with the 'ordinary' employees running the show. and apparently, doing it pretty well too. Another situation the author came accross in his farm advisory days was a largish farming outfit  where again the team of skilled and experienced farm staff carried out the day-to-day management of the farming operations - there had been previously a strong, postive relationship between the farm owner/manager and the team, so a firm basis of trust had existed. Maybe, and under the 'right' circumstances, such businesses could act as blueprints for future business models - ?

'Micro-holding life ---- '

'The micro holding has an advantage in that worker and manager are a combined unit, with only occasional 'strained relations', often solved by a few days break in glorious west Wales, boyo ---- 

The semi self-sufficient style of living here at the 'micro-holding' continues though seemingly in evermore 'switch off' mode, it not over relating strongly to modern mass money-geared moves and mores - maybe a bit more reclusing could be the answer - ?  Or maybe Oscar Wilfe's comment will be telling : -  'we will soon know the cost of everything---- and the value of nothing' -?

 T