Chop wood, carry water!

[J_]

Essence of living a good life is meant in the saying that you must be able to: chop wood, carry water. Every day again. And expierience that as a luck that you are able to enjoy to do those "common" things every day.

It took me a rather long time (a long life) to have more or less internalized the saying.

I do not see it as a chore to (prepare and) eat and drink healthy every day and avoid almost any other food or beverage.

I am happy to take those kettlebells in the corner of the kitchen to use my muscles so that my body stays lean and fit, again and again. And to go out everyday, in every wheather, to walk or sport or go on foot with a bagpack to shop groceries or change books in the local library.

Nor do I feel it as chore to clean my body, house or garden, or do maintenance on house, clothes or utensils. Or maintain my little boat, bicycle or things.
The same applies for me to keep an overview about my yearly expenses and income. And the size of my environmental impact, by being modest on my use of fuel, electricity, natural gas and waste.

It helps me a lot to have such a way of seeing/doing a part of daily life. It keeps me sane, and gives me time to ponder what adventures are worthwile to undertake. In the flesh or in my imagination. Or to set eventually new goals, or to go for new expieriences or skills.



How are your feelings about chopping and carrying the daily tasks?
Does it depend on age very much? (as was the case with me).
Does it help to feel it as a pleasure in stead of a chore?


Ps I live in a partnership, so we chop and carry together, makes it easier to enjoy.

[Sclass]

I watched one of those lone man in the wilderness shows on YouTube and was shocked how much time was consumed by hauling water and gathering wood for fuel. A lot of time!

I found it funny because the show was about being free and it didn't look that free as opposed to drinking from a pipe and heating from a gas line.

That being said I actually like clearing brush at my mom's house. It makes me feel alive for lack of a better description. The gardener keeps saying he'll do it but he doesn't realize that it's kind of a therapy for me.

[Fish]

I have also experienced this. What helped me reach this state was setting the expectation that pre- and post-FIRE life should be a difference in degree, not in kind. Not seeking freedom-from or freedom-to allows for better focus on the present.

[BRUTE]

brute also like to chop wood and carry water (metaphorically). for example, he likes to do his laundry by hand every day instead of using the laundry machine in his apartment. he likes washing dishes, very meditative. sometimes, brute chooses to walk when he could be taking other means of transportation.

in a sense, it comes down to the realization that brute has to fill his day with SOMETHING. an empty day is not a satisfactory day either, as brute has had to learn. therefore, the goal is not to reduce activities or do them as efficiently as possible, but to shift efficiencies around to reduce unenjoyable activities, and be very inefficient or manually do enjoyable activities.

[C40]

This reminds me of the thread a while back with people talking about how they don't bother to tie their own shoes

[J_]

@C40.. and then tripping over?

No, it is more that even while making making road-trips as you do now and show us so beautifully, you can also like the repeating parts in life.

[C40]

@C40.. and then tripping over?

No, it is more that even while making making road-trips as you do now and show us so beautifully, you can also like the repeating parts in life.

I was referring a recent thread here where people were sort of judging Millenials as lazy. I think one person said something like "they won't even tie their shoes" and a few young people chimed in and said that indeed they can't be bothered to tie their shoes. They just leave them loose or something like that. I've been baffled by that and now I think about it when I tie my shoes. Like "this really isn't so bad, what is their problem with it?"

I like finding better ways to do things. So I have a bunch of processes, or sort of "standards" for how I do things. I don't follow them like a robot. I try to find better ways to do it. For me, looking at normal things that way makes the "mundane" things (like tying my shoes, which I do in a specific way that prevents them from coming untied on their own) more interesting and rewarding.

[Farm_or]

I like wood chopping. Carrying water not so much. Something about stacking firewood that is very gratifying. You can literally see the accumulation of your efforts. I like stacking hay for the same reason.

[halfmoon]

I like wood chopping. Carrying water not so much. Something about stacking firewood that is very gratifying. You can literally see the accumulation of your efforts. I like stacking hay for the same reason.

Carrying water is like washing dishes...routine maintenance versus putting something in the 'bank'. Necessary but not necessarily inspiring. I'm with you on the satisfying stacks of firewood. Also shelves of canned/dried food and bushel baskets of onions and garlic stored for the winter. Maybe it's the scientifically documented* Squirrel Gene?

Still, I'll take carrying water over lifting weights or running on a treadmill any day. Double the satisfaction when you're actually accomplishing something more than sculpting your body.

*Or not.

[TopHatFox]

Not sure, sometimes I wonder if my efforts would be better spent organizing my community for a more sustainable relationship with the environment/world rather than literally chopping wood, carrying water, growing food, canning food, etc.