Being Self-sufficient

In my last blog, I wrote about self-improvement as a way of life. In today's blog I plan to discuss this topic from the direction of being self-sufficient.

The vast majority of individuals in this country would be hard-pressed, if they found themselves in a situation where there is very little likelihood of assistance in the near term. We have been presented, in the last few years, of people in other areas of the world, as well as in this country, being in just such circumstances. How individuals handle such situations is a true test of what they have become as human beings.

There have been a number of reports recently, of people being so dependent on their car's automated directions, that they have come perilously lost. Being self-sufficient is the opposite of being dependent.

Unfortunately, to be dependent on others has been part of our social Programming. This dependence is built into the roles, and gender-related preferences, we take on growing up as either male or female. Many people have been breaking free of this programming, which is encouraging, in many, but not all, ways. For example, in the past century, many men had no knowledge of cooking, personal clothing upkeep, housekeeping, childcare, etc., etc.; women who had no knowledge of finances, car care, repairing pretty-much anything, etc., etc.

Many men have now learned, one way or another, to cook, and to cook well, as well as to become House-husbands, while their wives work outside the home. Women are now the majority of the students in many Universities, (glorified Vocational Institutions), becoming Doctors, Lawyers, etc.

Some of the not-encouraging changes that have been taking place in gender roles/skills are females incapable of preparing food; women becoming violent in relationships, and men unwilling to honor the responsibilities they have created/taken on; males becoming increasingly violent toward women. And, both, in general, physically unable to do labor of any kind.

What with the new technologies, not only are most younger people currently unable to communicate in, formerly, acceptable ways, and unable to write in normal fashion, but seem to be able to talk, in shorthand, incessantly about nothing.

In times past, I came to the conclusion that Mothers deliberately crippled their sons, by not making them learn basic tasks, so that they would have to get married to someone who would do them. The daughters were taught, and made to do, those kinds of tasks, so they would be indispensable to the sons of other Mothers.

Nowadays, when the current crop of young adults leave home, if they leave home, seem incapable of doing any of the basic things for themselves. This is the product of our current parenting methods, as well as the educational system as a whole.

The main message of this particular blog is, the younger you are, "If you want to become self-sufficient, most of you will have to learn how to become competent in life skills on your own."

There are NO basic skills that either gender cannot learn, and become skilled at doing. For example: reading, writing, arithmetic, speaking, cooking, house cleaning, finances, basic auto operation and care, etc., etc.

It is never too late to begin basic physical maintenance of one's body: exercise, nutrition, flexibility, etc. This is an established fact.

Not only will becoming competent in basic living skills, as well as whatever other skills you chose to gain, knowing these things, give you more self-confidence, they will help you survive what the world throws at you as a test.

So I end this blog.

Shirley Gallup