Struggle

I was talking to a very dear friend the other day, and she asked me why I decided to “make it so difficult for yourself?” Moving to the desert, moving away from my leftist comfort zone, buying land far from power lines, and also being in the heart of animal farming—to actually see the way humans interact with livestock as products. For me, it’s all about the ‘struggle’. The struggle makes life interesting…..more participatory. Being endlessly supplied with everything from food, to transportation, to entertainment extracts me from a harmonious natural life. Capitalism has made us dependent, unhealthy, sad, and extremely destructive. Many people have no idea why or even that it’s happening. Having to build my home, figure out my power & water needs, live with much less, and really struggle is all a part of a healthy, nature-based, lifestyle. Living in an area where animals are suffering just makes me a better vegan [and to be clear, there are many wonderful livestock farmers and homesteaders out there treating their animals well]. And living around people who have vastly different views on politics and the world makes conversations so much more interesting….and impactful.