The power and value of mistakes

There are days where I take a look at our homestead and feel disappointment.  We had a dream and the dream is not finished.  Our earthship still has hundreds of hours of work yet to get done.  The yard has lots of work as well that sits idle as we focus on needs first.  

When we first came out here we had a plan and we focused on that plan for nearly two years.  When the money ran out we then realized we made a colossal mistake.  We built the earthship far too big which took too much of our time and money.  We did not get our economy going right away.  We started scrambling to grow a garden, raise chickens, goats, turkeys so that we had meat, eggs and milk.  We did not have any fences, coops, barns or any infrastructure to look after animals or grow food.  Our focus took a swift and sudden shift away from our 'vision' and instead we headed for our 'reality'.  

Wool washing station.  Made from old bed frame, scrap 2x4 and tubs.  Cost:  $0

Not that our vision is in any danger as we come to realize that these issues are key components of independence and freedom.  If we realized these lessons first, we would have focused our efforts and resources to establish the infrastructure we needed in order to live off the land.  We were naive into thinking that building an earthship with solar panels and water collection was the answer.  It was only a small fraction of the answer.  

Now we were faced with doing this work with no money.  Prior to this point, we had no issues with running to the store to purchase what we need.  We bought solutions to our problems all the time and never thought twice about it.  Now we are forced to get creative and build what we need instead.  I shop at the local transfer station (dump) as they still allow people to scavenge.  It is amazing what people throw away.

Wool is very dirty, so it needs to be washed a few times before use.

While our place is not finished and at times looks unkempt, it is beautiful.  We don't have a nice manicured lawn, mainly because we don't own a lawn mower.  Instead we let the goats and chickens eat it down and they do a good job of it too.  Our earthship, even though unfinished, keeps us dry and warm.  I have stuff laying around my shop, not as junk but as building materials that I can rummage through whenever I need to build something.  

So while the mistakes we made were huge, we learned a lot from them.  There are times where if I was to do it all over again, I would do it VERY differently.  But I know in my heart that our process is important because we are sharing the lessons learned with others like yourself.  This site is a testing ground and I test ideas all the time.  We are working hard to figure out what it takes to UNGRIP completely.  The knowledge is nearly gone as people walked away from this type of life style three generations ago.  Few, if any, are working to decolonize as well.  

Yes, this journey has been slow and painful, but it is all necessary.  I am happy and satisfied now that I look back and see what we accomplished over the last 15-20 years.  We have lived, learned and loved more in that period than most people do in a life time.  I love my wife deeply, even when we have zero cash and are stuck here unable to travel.  I'm not scared because we have everything we need here.  Our needs are not met with money but rather with hard work, knowledge and experience.  Our garden is growing like crazy and will provide for our needs for another year.  Our life style runs itself and is not dependent on fiat currency.  

Old tin from a grain bin makes a nice platform for drying wool.  We were gifted 50+ fleece.  

It is not easy to process the feelings that come up from the brain washing I went through as a child.  But each day it is getting easier and easier.  I work hard not to judge our situation because it does not look 'pretty' or 'finished'.   Our place does not look like a nice city lot.  I work hard not to make that kind of comparison as it is the difference between slavery and freedom.  

I may never get this place done.  It may be the job of the next generation or it may return to Mother Earth after we are gone.  Who knows, it may even get bulldozed by those who fail to see the value and lessons learned from our efforts to UNGRIP for all the man made grids and return to living off the land.  

Despite the mistakes we made, we learned A LOT and I work hard to share with others.  That way you can do in two years what took us ten.  Imagine!  

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