I might be more of a lurker than a chatter but I am here. I loved your piece on scything. I homestead in Virginia. I have no idea how to upload photos but if I did I would send you one of my favorite chicken, Lady Grantham, who was sadly taken by a hawk or a fox. That’s life (and death).
Apologies - I didn't initially set up the Chat feature correctly. That's why you can't post a photo, because we aren't in the Chat here. Hope to see you on the Chat thread though, now that I've set it up. If you can't see where it is, please let me know.
Loved your intro by the way - it seems that scything is the thing that sparks most comment when readers get in touch!
The day after I read your post "Rarely Certain recapitulated" I was listening to an audio book called Smile at Fear (author Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche), in which there was a passage that sounded very similar to what you described (I think):
From [the point of view of the mistaken belief that the self is a solid entity], the ego feels rather lonely, and, at the same time, keeps busy trying to defend itself. It finds that it consists of a collection of desires, expectations, ideas, conclusions, memories, and many other things. This collection is too complex for the ego to grasp. Therefore, it conveniently constructs "I am" or "I am the ego" and tends to put this label on itself as if it were a real, individual entity. Having found a name for itself, the ego has to constantly work to secure itself because fundamentally, it knows that it is not real and sound. So ego keeps busy trying to build a wall around itself to shut itself away from the other. Then, of course, having created this barrier, immediately the ego also wants to communicate with the other, which it now perceives as "outside", not part of itself. If anyone gets too near the wall that ego has built, it feels insecure, thinks that it is being attacked.
I would happily join the chat but, not having a mobile phone, I have neither Ios nor Android and I don't see any obvious way to join through my desktop Linux. So it looks like I'll have to remain an outsider!
Actually, the only tangible benefit for me is not having to buy call-time in order to keep the account alive! I used to have a mobile phone, maybe 10 or 12 years ago, but as I hardly ever go anywhere and don't use the phone much anyway, it's not a great hardship not having one.
So in my case, it didn't in fact take much courage to do without it. Giving up my car was a much bigger step!
I'm not sure that it's liberating exactly, not least because doing without the machines doesn't automatically free us from our own expectations of how life should be (expectations which have formed around the trappings of modernity, and which can reach deep into our psyches). And it definitely doesn't free us from other people's expectations!
Living without a car is definitely challenging when everyone around you takes it for granted and you yourself have got used to being able to hop into it and travel 10 or 15 miles without much thought. But, for me, coming from the life I'd been living, with the beliefs and values I'd come to hold, it seemed like a necessary step towards living with integrity – and, in 10 years, I've not felt any inclination to go back to it (though I am working on developing a flying carpet!).
I haven't yet managed to give up using a chainsaw though; the thought of trying to keep warm without it is still too daunting.
I was thinking about it a couple of days ago and got as far as looking at Substack's Publisher Agreement. But at the time I didn't feel up to wading through all the different documents just to become yet another voice in the wilderness.
I've never managed to attract much attention with my T'ReasonableMan blog – for some bizarre reason, most people don't seem to be interested in radical constitutional reform! And when I tried to start a constitutional reform party after the Brexit vote, the draft manifesto I put online also sank without trace (though I've left the website up at http://localsovereignty.com/ ). Being a semi-recluse with a very small personal network probably doesn't help!
I find a little bit of encouragement goes a long way, though, and perhaps a simpler site, focusing on my personal journey and philosophy, might find a wider audience ... so I'll give it a go. I'll let you know when I put the first post up.
I came here via Flat Caps (and there via the Abbey of Misrule), to all of Substack by way of a town outside Barcelona (for the past 15 years), and there by way of several places in the US, northern Vermont being the closest to what I'd call home. With several teenage kids and piecemeal work, it's hard to find time to give prolonged attention to much else, but 'Rarely Certain' pretty well sums up my thinking for the past 40-odd years. And I enjoy your writing!
Thank you very much for saying that. I'm struck by how far some readers have drifted from their place of birth and wonder if that may be something we share as a common strand. I think my displacement from provincial British culture has caused my mind to change in interesting ways.
I might be more of a lurker than a chatter but I am here. I loved your piece on scything. I homestead in Virginia. I have no idea how to upload photos but if I did I would send you one of my favorite chicken, Lady Grantham, who was sadly taken by a hawk or a fox. That’s life (and death).
Apologies - I didn't initially set up the Chat feature correctly. That's why you can't post a photo, because we aren't in the Chat here. Hope to see you on the Chat thread though, now that I've set it up. If you can't see where it is, please let me know.
Loved your intro by the way - it seems that scything is the thing that sparks most comment when readers get in touch!
Hi Mike! I’m a Brit living in France! Happy to join the chat 😊
The day after I read your post "Rarely Certain recapitulated" I was listening to an audio book called Smile at Fear (author Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche), in which there was a passage that sounded very similar to what you described (I think):
From [the point of view of the mistaken belief that the self is a solid entity], the ego feels rather lonely, and, at the same time, keeps busy trying to defend itself. It finds that it consists of a collection of desires, expectations, ideas, conclusions, memories, and many other things. This collection is too complex for the ego to grasp. Therefore, it conveniently constructs "I am" or "I am the ego" and tends to put this label on itself as if it were a real, individual entity. Having found a name for itself, the ego has to constantly work to secure itself because fundamentally, it knows that it is not real and sound. So ego keeps busy trying to build a wall around itself to shut itself away from the other. Then, of course, having created this barrier, immediately the ego also wants to communicate with the other, which it now perceives as "outside", not part of itself. If anyone gets too near the wall that ego has built, it feels insecure, thinks that it is being attacked.
Thought I'd share.
Glad you did - and thanks for doing so. (May surface this comment in a future piece)
I would happily join the chat but, not having a mobile phone, I have neither Ios nor Android and I don't see any obvious way to join through my desktop Linux. So it looks like I'll have to remain an outsider!
Hey Malcolm, being an outsider is cool around here. (Also, many people are frustrated that there's no desktop Chat as yet).
Is your no phone policy a recent choice? It takes courage to do without one, but doubtless offers benefits.
Actually, the only tangible benefit for me is not having to buy call-time in order to keep the account alive! I used to have a mobile phone, maybe 10 or 12 years ago, but as I hardly ever go anywhere and don't use the phone much anyway, it's not a great hardship not having one.
So in my case, it didn't in fact take much courage to do without it. Giving up my car was a much bigger step!
No phone or car is an impressive rejection of machine modernity. But when things end up kind of owning us I imagine getting rid of them is liberating
I'm not sure that it's liberating exactly, not least because doing without the machines doesn't automatically free us from our own expectations of how life should be (expectations which have formed around the trappings of modernity, and which can reach deep into our psyches). And it definitely doesn't free us from other people's expectations!
Living without a car is definitely challenging when everyone around you takes it for granted and you yourself have got used to being able to hop into it and travel 10 or 15 miles without much thought. But, for me, coming from the life I'd been living, with the beliefs and values I'd come to hold, it seemed like a necessary step towards living with integrity – and, in 10 years, I've not felt any inclination to go back to it (though I am working on developing a flying carpet!).
I haven't yet managed to give up using a chainsaw though; the thought of trying to keep warm without it is still too daunting.
This sounds like the basis of a Substack I'd be reading if you were writing it. Have you considered cross posting on here?
Hi Mike
I was thinking about it a couple of days ago and got as far as looking at Substack's Publisher Agreement. But at the time I didn't feel up to wading through all the different documents just to become yet another voice in the wilderness.
I've never managed to attract much attention with my T'ReasonableMan blog – for some bizarre reason, most people don't seem to be interested in radical constitutional reform! And when I tried to start a constitutional reform party after the Brexit vote, the draft manifesto I put online also sank without trace (though I've left the website up at http://localsovereignty.com/ ). Being a semi-recluse with a very small personal network probably doesn't help!
I find a little bit of encouragement goes a long way, though, and perhaps a simpler site, focusing on my personal journey and philosophy, might find a wider audience ... so I'll give it a go. I'll let you know when I put the first post up.
I came here via Flat Caps (and there via the Abbey of Misrule), to all of Substack by way of a town outside Barcelona (for the past 15 years), and there by way of several places in the US, northern Vermont being the closest to what I'd call home. With several teenage kids and piecemeal work, it's hard to find time to give prolonged attention to much else, but 'Rarely Certain' pretty well sums up my thinking for the past 40-odd years. And I enjoy your writing!
Thank you very much for saying that. I'm struck by how far some readers have drifted from their place of birth and wonder if that may be something we share as a common strand. I think my displacement from provincial British culture has caused my mind to change in interesting ways.
:wave:
Hi John, I just updated the post above with a link to the chat
I'll be happy to join the chat when it is no longer Apple supremacist and I can, y'know, actually JOIN the chat.
I started it this morning because they released the feature for Android at last! You just have to update the app.
Mike, you need to start a new chat thread as well.
I did. I'm looking at the settings telling me that the thread is 'unlocked'. So I'm confused
Ok, not seeing you listed though.
Something is up with my app, because I've followed the precise instructions. Maybe I'll delete & reinstall it