The Walden Effect: Farming, simple living, permaculture, and invention.

Coping with paradise

HuckleberryI used to think I was the only one capable of turning paradise into purgatory.  Then I went to visit Everett and realized that most type A people probably share my unique skill.

Four years ago, I finally got a chance to live my dream --- turning a chunk of swamp and berry brambles into a self-sufficient homestead.  You would have thought I would have been in hog heaven, right?  Well, I did enjoy a lot of the first few years on the farm, but I also spent a considerable amount of time so stressed out that I couldn't see the immense beauty around me.  Rather than noticing the tremendous changes Mark and I had made on the farm, all I could see were the dozen huge projects we seemed to never have time to deal with.

Contrast this mindset with Mark's approach to homesteading.  Mark is the world's hardest worker...when he's working.  But he doesn't peer up at the tattered barn roof with the same heart-wrenching worry I experience; instead, he enjoys the silhouette of the pole structure against the blue sky.  Once we've done everything on our list for the week, he kicks back and enjoys the weekend.

Perhaps you're already a type B person, fully adept at living in the moment.  But just in case you're type A and turning heaven into hell, I wanted to share coping techniques I've developed in the last few years to regain my bliss.

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This post is part of our Coping With Paradise lunchtime series.  Read all of the entries:





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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.



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A+B
It's always nice to hear that we are not alone in our outlook on life - us Type A people! J & I (that's one Type B & one Type A) operate the ranch here in West Texas. I look forward to hearing about your coping skills. Thanks for sharing & keep up the good work!
Comment by DogpackMOMMA Mon Oct 25 16:43:53 2010

The lists, the lists... I know we need to get with the lists. You know, we still haven't managed to make and stick with a weekly list yet?

But we're getting there. I was under the house all day yesterday insulating pipes and sealing up vents holes in the crawl space, but other than a run to the bank and hardware store today, I didn't do much of anything. ;-)

Mark I'm looking forward to that fly fishing trip. Congrats on your skylight and your sky flight!

Everett

Comment by Everett Mon Oct 25 17:50:53 2010

I've had an astonishingly hard time getting myself to write this lunchtime series. It felt a bit like airing my dirty laundry, so I'm glad to hear that two of you are looking forward to it. I hope it helps somebody!

Everett --- I'll be walking you through my convoluted series of lists in later posts. You'll have plenty of time to try them out. :-)

Comment by anna Mon Oct 25 18:58:41 2010
of those wanting to hear your coping skills!
Comment by Sheila Mon Oct 25 19:33:59 2010
Sounds like we're all coming out of the closet today. :-)
Comment by anna Mon Oct 25 19:46:50 2010
I am not permitting myself to be boxed. But I will say I like this post more than most of yours. Maybe it is just more "emo" and therefore I like it. I like admitting to purgatory. I think that it might be hard for a self described Type A to admit that they are going through a rough spot. I like the blemishes on the fruit and all that. But it could be cause I am an English major...
Comment by Maggie Mon Oct 25 19:54:50 2010
I don't think that I've ever heard anyone except a type A person self-label. It might be that there is type A, and then everyone else... :-)
Comment by anna Mon Oct 25 20:04:04 2010
I'm about as far from a "type A" as you can be and not die of starvation, exposure, or lateness. That said, I think your skill set will be something educational for me... to learn to worry a tad more! Looking forward to the series, especially your list making strategies. (Mr. Fuzzy is a total "Type A" personality.)
Comment by April Tue Oct 26 14:53:43 2010
I think that a type B person can be an enormously important mitigating influence on a type A person. I know that I've been much, much happier since Mark started tweaking my mindset. :-)
Comment by anna Tue Oct 26 15:26:27 2010





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