On growing up

I fell like I'm finally hatching out of my shell and it's been 14 years since I've left home. I got married when I was young and so I've had almost half of my life to change, so why do I feel so guilty? I think it's because I have chosen to think. See, we didn't think when I was growing up. We did not have intellectual conversations. We watched TV, a lot. I went to public school at age 12 and up. When you're parents don't counter the media and school you have nothing to fall back on except what they teach you in those places. Guns are evil. Alcohol is no good. Drugs are horrible. Littering is outrageous. Wearing your seat belt is the only way. Sex, well, you need a condom. At least my parents had enough know-how to make sure I knew to wait for marriage before sex, I'm glad for that. These days the schools have added the recycling religion and the acceptance of homosexuality. Really? Who wants their kids to be taught that? Ok, yes, many of my friends. I think they must choose to turn a blind eye, how else could you stand for that?

We didn't discuss politics really either. I knew they were Republicans, but only because I asked one day, and then I was also told that it was rude to ask how people were going to vote. I was taught about simple manners, to write thank you notes, to brush my hair and teeth, how to put on makeup, how to make a meal, how to shave my legs, that I should try my hardest in school, to not watch rated R movies, those important sorts of things. I was not taught how to garden, how to shoot a rabbit, how to think.

I believe that for my parent’s generation that they didn't realize that when they left their farms and move to the suburbs what their children were missing. They just wanted the "good" life where you just drive to the store when you want to eat...put food in storage? Why bother! Put the kids in school and have coffee with their girlfriends or take that other job so they can get another car. They made choices.
My husband jokes that he "raised" me the rest of the way. He's lucky. I was a clean slate ready to learn. I didn't know how to think critically and he taught me that, I thought the world was full of roses, he taught me otherwise. I thought everyone went to public school, I was wrong.
We have chosen a country life. We have 4 neighbors that live right around us. 2 have also chosen a country life and 2 have stayed urban. It's a matter of choice where we live. We built an urban home 11 years ago and a bit of land, not much, but in the last few years we have decided to start changing our lifestyle, thus increasing our spending on our food (by raising animals), etc, but we want our children to learn what I didn't. That is about the importance of living simply and not relying on the grocery store to have everything we need and want.

This blog will be about my journey to country life. The pros and cons that will bring. What we teach our children. What other parents ought to teach their own. And encouraging people to wake up and smell those thorny roses.

Country Jane, all growed up