you know that post on tumblr that goes something like āme, disabled, mentally ill: i bet i could start a farmā?
the notes are chock full of people who long for open skies and rolling hills but feel trapped by the hand that nature dealt them.Ā people afraid of the overwhelming amount of time, effort, and money that goes into homesteading because their body or their brain wonāt give them a break.Ā people who look longingly at homesteading youtube and think āman, that sounds awesome, but thereās no way i could handle all that on my bad days.ā
my credentials?Ā agoraphobia, generalized anxiety, depressive episodes, and a laundry list of skeletal/muscular issues that force me to get creative when it comes to getting things done on the bad days.Ā iāve got a partner that is invaluable but he works long hours and waiting for him to come home isnāt gonna get the rabbits fed.
but i decided to try this whole farm thing anyway, because i looked at the state of the commercial ag industry in this country and didnāt like what i saw.Ā so i thought, even if it sucks, even if i have to beat myself to get it done, iām gonna do it.Ā but iām gonna do it my way, not the way everyone says i should do it.
so i did, armed with naught but a fierce love for animals, dogged determination, and a high-speed internet connection.
and it works.Ā well, it works well enough.
people kept telling me i needed to talk about how i make it work up here, when waking up functional is a gamble i canāt always win.Ā so here i am, i guess. to show that even if your dishes are dirty, the laundry is weeks overdue, and the only thing you managed to do today was go outside and make sure your animals had food and water, that you can still grow your own food and make it work.Ā you just gotta figure out what works for you.
i donāt know how useful anything i say will be, but if it helps even one person realize their dreams thatās enough for me.
my nameās shazza, iām having a bad day, and iām doing my best.
theartofmadeline
romaincrisis
