Getting Back to Basics

So far, this blog is probably giving the impression that my idea of getting back to basics is entirely about scolding people to change their way of thinking. Not so. I practice what I preach, but I admit that I had a great head start, growing up the oldest of four kids, with a father who was usually working one or two side jobs to supplement his teacher’s salary. We had our own home, thanks to the G. I. Bill, but there was rarely any money left over from meeting basic needs, so I learned to pinch pennies very early on.

For some reason, growing up comparatively poor rarely bothered me. Maybe it was because television advertising hadn’t yet created a culture of conspicuous consumption for the average person. Spending money on expensive non-essentials was still mainly for the wealthy. And it probably helped that I was an introverted loner who spent enough time observing my school mates to realize that I didn’t want to be like them.

Being able to make my own clothes was a matter of pride, and having a father who was crazy about gardening and horticulture meant that I learned a lot without even knowing that I was learning anything. Both of those areas of knowledge served me well over the years, along with the many skills that I picke up, sometimes from necessity, but mostly because learning to do for myself was always an interesting and worthwhile challenge.

All of that means that I’ve always felt kind of sorry for people who can pay other people to do things for them. They don’t have the pleasure of a job well done, or pride in knowing how to do something that takes skill and effort. But pity has given way to dismay with the realization that a country full of people who don’t know how to do anything for themselves except the job that they’re paid for is a country in trouble when the economy slips more than a notch or two. That’s what we have today: a country in trouble.

So scolding, and nudging people to think, has to be a good part of what this blog is about. But there’s no point getting you to think and then not offering any ideas about what the next steps might be. Lots of folks are feeling pretty wobbly these days, and need a helping hand till they’re steady on their feet. That’s what I want this blog to be — a helping hand.