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Edible Backyard
My American Dream
Ogham Tree Lore
Seasonal Living
![]() Every year our Junior students read The Great Gatsby and are encouraged to explore their American Dream. While my appreciation of the novel is neither here nor there, I use this opportunity to ponder my American Dream. This year I’m reflecting on this writing prompt later than usual, but it fits in terms of the 4th of July holiday weekend. Now is the perfect time for me to think about what my ancestors fought for when they joined the Revolutionary War and what hopes and dreams they may have had for this “new world” they were fighting to make. Regardless of what this holiday means to us modern Americans, I can understand the desire to be free to do what I wish to do… responsibly, of course. I spent a brief part of my adult life working on Capitol Hill. I was employed in a congressman’s office, spoke with constituents about their needs, and attended briefings about various bills or laws in the making. It’s easy to see our governing body through rose-colored glasses when you are a naive student in the government program at college. I studied all the history and laws which created this nation and the events after. I often thought how on earth could anyone begrudge an American for their tenacity and desire to be autonomous from governing bodies? The history books love to tell one-sided stories. Capitol Hill broke all those naive illusions I had about our government. I won’t go into details here, but these experiences forever changed me and the lens through which I look at the world. So, how does this correlate to my new life as a crazy homesteader? I quickly realized my American Dream does not include power suits and expensive heels, but rather, it is the slow, autonomous lifestyle that comes with living with Momma Earth. We cannot put our faith in man or governments governed by man. I don’t subscribe to the belief that humans are inherently good or bad, but I do know we are imperfect. We can be deceived or led by greed as easily as we are inspired by love. I have discovered my personal secret to happiness involves scaling down my sphere of influence. I don’t need to work on Capitol Hill to make an impact in my community. In fact, I make more of an impact in my hometown now than I ever did there. In turn, this directly correlates with my American Dream - to live a life of authenticity. Authentic living for me is doing what I can to help others and recognizing being deeply rooted in ancestral folkways allows me to express my inner self with confidence. Sure, it looks wild sometimes when I’m running around the farm beating on a painted drum and singing to my plant and animal friends, but that’s where I feel most connected to my authentic self. Fresh food and herbal medicines are certainly a perk of this lifestyle, but it’s not why I chose this homesteading life. I recognize every facet of me is healthier homesteading. It fulfills my spiritual, physical, social, and emotional needs in too many ways to articulate. I think everyone deserves their own slice of authentic living and the opportunity to love their whole selves. Homesteading just happens to give me the freedom to do that. I’m not here to teach you the “right” way to homestead because that in itself is subjective. I do, however, hope sharing my authentic lifestyle with you inspires you to get out there and shine your light. Want to connect and chat? You can reach out to me via email or any of my social media accounts. Stay wild!
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AuthorCaitlin is a full-time special education teacher with a penchant for the wyrd. When she isn't hanging out with the coolest kids, she's out in her garden tending to her herbs or frolicking with her 2 goats, 40 chickens, 6 ducks, 2 turkeys, 2 dogs, and 6 cats. She understands it's a hoarding situation at this point, but life is too short to worry about boring things like that. Archives
May 2024
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