An introduction of sorts

[stardewdreaming]

One of the things that frustrates me about people in general (but most usually seen when you watch any type of TV show when there's a contestant/s) is how, when they introduce themselves, part of what they say is their job. I understand that to some people that is an important part of their view of themselves, that their job is crucial to their identity, it matters to them and it does actually say a lot about who they are.

But that isn't the case for me. While I enjoy what I do in my job, it's literally just something I do to earn a salary so I can pay for things I need to live, like mortgage and food etc. So why did I just type 'Hi, I'm Erica, I'm 31 and I'm a school receptionist'? I'm so frustrated with myself. I'm not a school receptionist, it's simply what I do and in my opinion, those are very different things.

A much better, more accurate, way to start would be:

Hi, I'm Erica, I'm 31, I live on the coast in Cumbria (north west England), and I am completely obsessed with Stardew Valley (in case being called stardewdreaming didn't make that obvious). Not just Stardew Valley but also Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, etc. I legitimately dream of dropping out of the rate race and moving to small town in the middle of nowhere and becoming self-sufficient, living off my land. I'm like a walking cliche of the Millennial Dream, crossed with Cottagecore and Rusticcore - and I am absolutely ok with this! I'm also fully aware that what all this encompasses is a very romanticized view of rural living and not an accurate portrayal of farming life - but I still strive to embody some of the ideas of simple living, harmony of nature etc.

When not playing these games, I'm often watching people stream them on Twitch. I feel like such a cliche!
I also enjoy reading, baking & cooking, colouring, needlecraft, making jewellery, sleeping, swimming. I've usually got music playing and quite enjoy country/folk.

That's me in a nutshell. It's nice to meet you, and thank you for spending some time reading my blog!

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>One of the things that frustrates me about people in general (but most usually seen when you watch any type of TV show when there's a contestant/s) is how, when they introduce themselves, part of what they say is their job. I understand that to some people that is an important part of their view of themselves, that their job is crucial to their identity, it matters to them and it does actually say a lot about who they are.<<

People do it in person too. It's usually the mark of someone with a career or a vocation that they've devoted a lot of energy into developing. But listen for other options. They may be less common than they used to be, but some folks will cite family roles like "I'm a mother of four" and others will cite a church or other community role like "I'm a visitation volunteer at my church."

In one of my constructed languages, there are suffixes you can put on a term to specify how it defines you. I could concisely say, "I am a writer by innate talent, profession, and vocation" and that whole last phrase would be one suffix.

>>But that isn't the case for me. While I enjoy what I do in my job, it's literally just something I do to earn a salary so I can pay for things I need to live, like mortgage and food etc. So why did I just type 'Hi, I'm Erica, I'm 31 and I'm a school receptionist'? I'm so frustrated with myself. I'm not a school receptionist, it's simply what I do and in my opinion, those are very different things.<<

Totally legit. Also, in today's economy, many workers are forced to switch fields so frequently, or can only get gig work, which undermines the tendency to identify with a specific job.

>>I legitimately dream of dropping out of the rate race and moving to small town in the middle of nowhere and becoming self-sufficient, living off my land.<<

If you haven't already found it, the movement for that in your part of the world is Transition Towns. It includes both urban initiatives for local sufficiency and homestead self-sufficiency.

Me, I'm hippiespawn, I grew up with this stuff. :D While I don't have all the same skills of my parents or grandparents, I'm way ahead of most people my age, to say nothing of the younger ones.

>>I'm also fully aware that what all this encompasses is a very romanticized view of rural living and not an accurate portrayal of farming life - but I still strive to embody some of the ideas of simple living, harmony of nature etc.<<

It's crucial to understand the spectrum of self-sufficiency and rustication. While there are hardcore practitioners living off the grid, that is not what most people want to do -- although a larger number want the skills as backup in case of disaster. Many folks look at the rat race and conspicuous consumption, wrinkle their nose, and look for something better. Maybe they grow a garden to supplement shopping with fresh fruit and veg. Maybe they cook or can because so much commercial food is junk. Maybe they sew or knit some of their own clothes. Maybe they want 4 hens to lay breakfast eggs. Maybe they put in a rain garden of native plants. And after they've added a few projects a year for several years, they've got something that makes them just a little more self-sufficient, that makes them happy, without being exhausting.

My advice, if you like the general flavor of the rustic lifestyle, is to examine what exactly evokes that attraction for you, and then learn skills for those specific things. Do you like "shabby chic" furniture because you'd rather reuse old things than throw them in a landfill? Explore furniture restoration, learn to make milk paint, buy something at a thrift store and dress it up. Do you love the look of handmade sweaters and afghans? Try your hand at knitting or crochet. Do you want to work with nature? Study permaculture and plant a few native species. Do you like animals, but not necessarily have room for your own? See if there's a heritage breed club in your area that needs volunteers. And so on. There's a huge list of homestead skills, nobody learns them all, but most folks can find something that they really enjoy doing. When you're not forced into subsistence farming (which sucks) then you actually can cherry-pick for the parts you find romantic.

>> I also enjoy reading, baking & cooking, colouring, needlecraft, making jewellery, sleeping, swimming. I've usually got music playing and quite enjoy country/folk.<<

I read everything in reach. I like cooking and sometimes post my own recipes. I enjoy various crafts including a bit of hand-sewing and needlework. I like folk and filk music too.

Feel free to drop by my blog and see if you like it.

Re: Thoughts

[lilithesque]

In one of my constructed languages, there are suffixes you can put on a term to specify how it defines you. I could concisely say, "I am a writer by innate talent, profession, and vocation" and that whole last phrase would be one suffix.In one of my constructed languages, there are suffixes you can put on a term to specify how it defines you. I could concisely say, "I am a writer by innate talent, profession, and vocation" and that whole last phrase would be one suffix.

I looooove this!!

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

*bow, flourish* Happy to be of service. I love languages in general, and I'm fascinated by the different ways that people draw frames around various parts of reality. I've written a lot of poems inspired by individual words, especially words that don't translate easily from one language to another.

Re: Thoughts

[lilithesque]

Ooh your poetry sounds cool, I will come check some out!

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

I just realized that I don't have the vocabulary poems sorted out so they're easy to find. *headdesk* Much of what I write is narrative verse. But look in January and you'll find some of the vocabulary poems. Certain series also have poems titled in the related language, like Swedish for Hart's Farm or Italian for Fiorenza the Wisewoman.

If you swing by my Poetry Fishbowl on the first Tuesday of each month, you can also prompt me with a vocabulary word that matches the theme.

Re: Thoughts

[stardewdreaming]

You have given me some real food for thought here, thank you every so much.

I definitely vibe with the whole 'look at the rat race and conspicuous consumption, wrinkle their nose, and look for something better' mindset. But I've always been very guilty (as a lot of people are) of things being 'all or nothing', although I do enjoy some of the things you mentioned above such as thrifting and altering/mending clothes, reusing the fabrics to make my own, and making jewellery too.

I've been trying to get my dad to help me sort my backyard out for months - it's paved and I want the slabs up, so I can plant things. I'm on the waiting list for an allotment and some of those actually allow livestock, hens and bees which is very exciting. But mostly a waiting game.

And thank you for the link to Transition Towns, that's definitely something for me to read up about

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> You have given me some real food for thought here, thank you every so much.<<

*bow, flourish* Happy to be of service!

>> I definitely vibe with the whole 'look at the rat race and conspicuous consumption, wrinkle their nose, and look for something better' mindset. But I've always been very guilty (as a lot of people are) of things being 'all or nothing',<<

Western society tends toward binary, but that's not the only option. Make a habit of asking yourself, "What are some other possibilities?" Look at the news and search for gray areas and complexities, which are plentiful there. Many philosophies are great for that too. Cognitive behavioral therapy considers black-and-white thinking to be a thought distortion and has exercises for breaking out of it.

>> although I do enjoy some of the things you mentioned above such as thrifting and altering/mending clothes, reusing the fabrics to make my own, and making jewellery too.<<

It's good to start small, then look at how you can build on that.

>> I've been trying to get my dad to help me sort my backyard out for months - it's paved and I want the slabs up, so I can plant things. I'm on the waiting list for an allotment and some of those actually allow livestock, hens and bees which is very exciting. But mostly a waiting game.<<

Taking up the pavement is only one option. You could also put a container garden or raised beds on top of the pavement -- and not have to worry about weeds or mud between them. People often want paths between their growing areas.

If you get the pavement taken up, you will not have workable soil underneath it. The soil will be dead and packed. You would need to add at least several inches of healthy topsoil or compost to have something workable immediately. Or if it's taken up in fall, you could sheet mulch the whole area and have workable soil by spring.

>>And thank you for the link to Transition Towns, that's definitely something for me to read up about <<

Yay!

[lilithesque]

One of the things that frustrates me about people in general (but most usually seen when you watch any type of TV show when there's a contestant/s) is how, when they introduce themselves, part of what they say is their job. I understand that to some people that is an important part of their view of themselves, that their job is crucial to their identity, it matters to them and it does actually say a lot about who they are.

Cassie and I say that ALL THE TIME when we're watching Pointless (*ahem slight obsession/dinner ritual ahem*).

I agree entirely, and I think it also says a lot (mostly negative) about our society that that's the way it's ingrained that we introduce ourselves. A strange fringe benefit of being unemployed, whatever the reason (and I've experienced a number of reasons) is that you do often end up finding other ways to define yourself. But it also speaks to the sad value structure of Western capitalism - your worth is in your labour. Whereas actually our worth is intrinsic to each of use as human beings, in our creativity and kindness and a million other things that have nothing to do with what we earn a paycheck for.

So don't feel bad at yourself - it's what we're taught to say! Feel awesome that you looked at that and said 'fuck this, I'm more than my job'. 🤗

I legitimately dream of dropping out of the rate race and moving to small town in the middle of nowhere and becoming self-sufficient, living off my land. I'm like a walking cliche of the Millennial Dream, crossed with Cottagecore and Rusticcore - and I am absolutely ok with this! I'm also fully aware that what all this encompasses is a very romanticized view of rural living and not an accurate portrayal of farming life - but I still strive to embody some of the ideas of simple living, harmony of nature etc.

My nerd group (well okay my friends group, who am I kidding, all my friends are nerds) have for decades talked about a fannish commune somewhere. Not gonna lie it's definitely an even more appealing prospect these days!

I also enjoy reading, baking & cooking, colouring, needlecraft, making jewellery, sleeping, swimming. I've usually got music playing and quite enjoy country/folk.

That's me in a nutshell. It's nice to meet you, and thank you for spending some time reading my blog!

Ooh I love that we have a bunch of other things in common as well as Stardew! badfalcon is the huge bookworm between the two of us, but I do also love to read, and write, and bake and make jewellery - making nerd jewellery to sell is one of my ultimate game plans! We also always have music on and I just started colouring mandalas, to give myself something to relax with that isn't on a screen and to get my anxiety used to just sitting with paper and a pen (I'm also trying to get back into drawing and digital art but it's a brain struggle). It's super relaxing!

Thank you for finding my stream and chatting so we could end up being nerdy DW friends!