Is life without electricity possible? For the past decade or
so, I had truly hoped so, and even made it an ultimate goal to live without any
need for electrical gadgets or appliances. When I saw this video last fall, my
desire increased. It is an inspiring video, and I got super-inspired.
I know I’m not the only one out there who has harbored
dreams of not only going “off-grid”, but completely eliminating the need for
electricity altogether. But is that a realistic goal? Does the couple in the
video really live without electricity?
They have a faucet and a toilet. While they do not have a
washing machine, they must have some sort of tub in which to wash their
clothes. I’m sorry to break the news to them, but electricity was used to make
all of those things. It was also used to print the beautiful books that adorn
the single beautiful bookcase, handcrafted, I believe, by the husband of the
couple who live in this non-electric Tiny House.
Shortly after watching that video, I did an online search
for “life without electricity.” Lo and behold, I encountered two blog posts
where the bloggers explain how they live without electricity.
Hello! You cannot blog without electricity. Computers and
Internet connection both require electricity. While those folks may indeed not
be able to get online at home, they obviously do elsewhere. They are not really
living without electricity.
Let me bring it home. To my home. We live at least
two hours away from a health food store where we can buy organic food. It’s
going to take at least three years before we are producing all of our own
produce, so in the meantime we have to buy things in bulk and freeze some of
it. A freezer requires electricity. Where we live, a car is a necessity.
Manufacturing a car requires electricity; so does running it. Over time, the solar
lanterns we bought and use for lighting are much more economical than buying
candles. But they work via electricity.
The house we are going to have built next spring will
require ceiling fans for air circulation (why? – I will answer that when I
choose to reveal the whole Secret; i.e, what kind of house we have selected).
And since we live in very humid area, we will have to run a dehumidifier or air
conditioner sometimes, no matter what kind of house we live in. Electricity,
electricity, electricity.
And what about all the stuff we order from Amazon? The
supplements, materials for Benjamin’s amusement and education, food, occasional
household goods – every single product involves electricity at some level, even
if only in the printing of the label on a bottle and the shipping process.
Is it possible to live without electricity – totally and
completely? They say that anything is possible, but how many people do you know
are growing their own flax, cotton or hemp, or raising sheep, and making their
own thread and weaving into fabric and sewing that into clothing, all by hand?
How many people provide 100% of their own food, and either consume it all raw
or use fire for cooking? How many people have homes where every single piece of
furniture was made by hand, using old-fashioned, non-electric tools? Get my
drift?
Today, electricity is a great part of what makes the world
go ‘round. If that upsets the caveman/woman inside you, figure out how to
reduce your electricity needs as much as you can. And then be happy that you
have way more freedom, prosperity, and opportunities in your life than your
grandparents did, thanks to electricity.
