Dear Pennies & Pens,
In this post, Live Loud: Let’s Learn How To Live Off The Land I’m going to make a really crazy suggestion which is: I think we should go back to some of the old ways. What am I talking about? I’m saying that we should learn how to live off the land the way that people used to.
One thing the C word has taught me is how epically unprepared we all were for this shit. Like in a span of days, heck, hours, this virus has turned our world upside down. Regardless of who you are, you’ve been affected by this in some way. I know people who have the virus on top of having family and friends who were laid off. Also, entrepreneurs like me are scrambling to make ends meet since no one is spending money.
Right now, we’re all focused on surviving. So our money is going towards living expenses like food, rent and mortgages. In essence, any business that doesn’t sell essential products is going to take a serious hit. And since no one knows when this will end, even mortgage companies, apartment complexes and energy companies may take a hit if they’re forced to suspend their bills.
Last Friday, I went to Kroger to go grocery shopping after work as I always do. This was different for two reasons: first I’m currently working from home so instead of driving from South Dallas to the Kroger near my house, I only had to throw on some pajama pants and drive down the street…that was a nice perk. However, the shelves in Kroger and Whole Foods were disturbingly empty.
And that’s when it hit me. I don’t know how to do shit. Like if they decide to close grocery stores as they have other businesses, how would I continue to eat and live? I don’t know how to grow my own food. I couldn’t live off the land at this moment if I tried.
So anywho, over the weekend, I started thinking about my parents and the elders in my family who grew up on farms in the South–they really knew how to live off the land. Their life was not easy but they know how to do things that so many of us can’t. They knew how to grow vegetables, slaughter animals, sew their own clothes, etc. They knew how to read maps and didn’t need GPS just to get somewhere that’s only 20 minutes away.
That said, I believe it’s time for me to learn how to grow mushrooms, spinach, and corn (some of my favorite vegetables), it’s time for me to learn how navigate Dallas without GPS, it’s time for me to learn how to sew my own clothes. It’s time for me to learn how to use the hands, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth that God gave me. For too long, I’ve been depending on my phone, computer, internet, and car.
I am so pleased to share that there are Black farmers returning to the land, reclaiming it for themselves. Check it out! This story is truly amazing, Pennies & Pens, please read it!
Although, I hope the C word exits stage left and everything goes back to normal (it takes like a year to grow grapes for wine and ain’t nobody got time not to be able to quickly and easily open a bottle of Pinot Grigio), I do think these skills, and being able to live off the land, are important.
We are all literally dependent on technology, grocery stores, retail stores and restaurants. The convenience of it all is cool but what happens when it’s taken away?!
In the video below, I reiterate a lot of the points I just shared. I know I’ll sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist to some but I am unbothered.
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong.
