On Not Being a Luddite

For those of you who don’t know what Luddite means, it is used to describe people who reject progress. More specifically, it refers to the British Luddites, textile workers of the early nineteenth century who protested Industrial Revolution “progress” by destroying the mechanized looms that threatened to put them out of work.

I am not a Luddite

When one says he would like to live a “simple life” many people automatically assume he means a bucolic lifestyle, possibly reminiscent of Thoreau’s experience at Walden Pond. While that certainly would not be a terrible way to spend a few months or years, it isn’t exactly the most feasible way for all humans to live in this day and age.

As evidenced by the very existence of this blog, I embrace technology. In-fact, it is probably the internet that will free us from the chains of rush-hour traffic and gray-walled cubicles. It is probably the internet that will free us from crowded cities and bland suburbs and allow those who prefer pasture over coffee-shop to live and work rurally while maintaining a decent salary.

My goal is not to throw away the things we have gained along the way to progress; but rather to rediscover the things we have lossed. What happened to the quiet times? What happened to sitting down at the dinner table with family? What happened to self-reliance skills like canning and sewing? Why can’t I name most of the thousands of insects or dozens of weeds that can be found in my own backyard? What did people clean with before cleaners came in bottles? How did people keep food through the winter before there were refrigerators?

Whether it is for preparedness or just as a hobby, I hope to learn the skills and develop the mindset necessary for living a simple life. This blog will document that journey.

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Category: Simple Thoughts, The Transplants