Modern
Inconveniences
The
novelty of living off-grid has lost much of its charm. No one can say
I didn't give it the old college try. Four years of under powered
solar panels, battling cantankerous generators and foot-pedal toilet
flushing has become wearisome. An off-grid lifestyle certainly has
it's challenges. With that said, I have discovered a surprising
bi-product of such a lifestyle: it is a simpler and healthier way of
living.
Four
months living in The Cabin with it's hot and cold running water,
electric appliances and not one but TWO flushing toilets brought me
to the realization that people spend a lot of time, effort and money
for the convenience of modern living.
My
first week at The Cabin resulted in mega-tons of laundry every day
for a week straight. If I wasn't loading the washer and dryer with
every conceivable item of post-vacation rental fabric – I was
folding said items and stuffing them in various drawers, closets and
storage bins. Clothes I would normally wear multiple times before
laundering were now being washed every single day...only to be
dirtied and washed again. The same thing...over and over. I believe
this is the very definition of insanity.
I
found myself with a real stove and a real oven that doesn't heat your
RV to a blistering 120° while baking cookies. I could now cook three
meals a day and bake pies to my hearts content. My heart may have
been content in a Martha Stuart sort of way – but the rest of me
resembled more Marie Osmond pre-weight watchers sort of way. Perhaps
I can work it off vacuuming.
Vacuuming;
I got to do a lot of that with a 2,000+ square foot 2 story cabin and
two dogs that shed profusely. Vacuum the downstairs floors and
furniture. Drag vacuum up flight of stairs and vacuum more floors and
furniture. Repeat this. Every. Single. Day. Obviously vacuuming does
not qualify as a form of exercise. Sad.
Now
that the cookies are baked and the floors are vacuumed, I have just
enough time to notice how dusty it is living in The Cabin with it's
copious amounts of furniture...all needing a good dusting. Three cans
of lemony scented Pledge later and I can attest to dusting also not
qualifying as a form of exercise. Plus, I think you can get high off
of the fumes.
The
floors are now vacuumed and mopped and the furniture dusted. It's
been a long time since I've had furniture to speak of. There is a LOT
of it in The Cabin. Might has well see how many different ways I can
arrange it. I mean, why not...what use is it other than sitting on it
and contributing to your pre-weight watchers- Marie Osmond thing you
have going on? So...I rearranged furniture every week or so just for
the hell of it. It didn't do much for an expanding backside situation
but it's a fair bet I can beat Marie at arm wrestling.
With
all the chores done thanks to the help of various modern
conveniences...I realized I had TV for the first time in 4
years. Why not binge watch The Last Alaskan's! The irony of the
documentary series of families living above the arctic circle OFF
GRID should not be overlooked. Aside from falling in love with Bob
Harte and bawling my head off when he died...I envied them. I missed
my simple, off-grid existence. It was time to button up The Cabin and
go home.
Two
weeks have passed since I've been home...once again living off-grid –
if not for a little while longer anyway. The house is finished for
the most part. I'm waiting for power to be brought in. When it's all
said and done – it will cost me over $20,000 to be connected to the
power grid. I haven't cried that hard since Bob died.
Is
it worth it? I can't honestly tell you it is or is not. I believe I'm
doing it out of stubbornness for the most part. It is not in my
nature to quit. I've come this far. Power is the last thing they will
give you...and now I know why. Had I known, would I have done it?
I'm certain I would have - but I don't have a good reason for doing
so. The up front monetary cost alone is staggering. Is it worth the
price to switch on a light bulb? The gluttony of food preparation and
consumption is frightening to me. Hours spent in front of a TV are
hours forfeited in an already short earthly existence. I fully
understand once connected to the grid – the risk of becoming a
slave to the modern inconveniences of today is real.
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| Forever free - Bob |
