What is The Road Once Taken? This is the catchall term I’ve decided to use to describe all the ways of ancient peoples all over the world and the skills they used every day to survive and thrive in their environments. In our world, so dominated by technology and ease, we risk losing sight of the value in the practices of our collective ancestors. Ever since I was a child I remember seeing survivalists and reenactors on TV and thinking “I want to do that!” I wanted to learn to build a fire. I wanted to learn how to grow and preserve food. I wanted to be self sufficient. This started a lifelong fascination with pre-industrial life and the stark contrast that I saw in my own struggle-free modern life. I became fascinated with the idea of a life independent of the structure provided by our industrial society, and the skills that would be necessary face the challenges all of us face even in that society. Pre-industrial people had many ingenious solutions to life’s problems that they implemented themselves because, simply put, they couldn’t rely on anyone else. If you needed to make sure you would have food to last through the winter, you had to preserve your food by drying, smoking, canning or some other technique. If you needed a shelter, you had to build it. If you needed repairs or maintenance to any of your equipment, you had to do it yourself. (All of these skills will at some point have posts entirely dedicated to them) If you’ve also always wondered how you would fair in an “off grid” environment, then this is the place for you!
This blog is dedicated to reclaiming that lost self-sufficiency by learning, together, the skills that gave our ancestors the quiet confidence that allowed them to weather life’s storms. The crafts they could look on at the end of a hard day of work and feel a sense of accomplishment for. I believe what is missing in our modern life is the pride of overcoming challenges as the challenges we face become ever fewer and more abstract. The conquering of a physical task activates something primal in the psyche of every person. Something that creates a sense of ease. This “something” is lost when people live a life that is too easy and lacks the enrichment that can come with the solving of problems on one’s own.
I’m not suggesting we all become luddites and throw down all the machines which afford us such luxury. On the contrary, I believe our technology is an extension of that primal desire to tackle challenges as they arise and should be a source of collective pride for all mankind. Besides, it’s only because of that technology that I’m able to share what I’ve found with all of you. I simply posit that perhaps by imitating certain skills and behaviors of our ancestors, we can regain some of that confidence that we’ve lost. I’m also definitely not suggesting everyone abandon their modern lives and run into the woods to subsist off the land. I’m not suggesting anyone eat raw organs or sleep on the ground. I think the healthiest way to go about this endeavor is to learn one skill or process at a time that we can incorporate into our daily lives to preserve for ourselves and future generations.
To that end, we’ll look at the practices of ancient people from all over the world and glean the knowledge they earned through trial and error as well as develop the tenacity that allowed them to conquer their environment. Through the tutorials posted on this blog, you’ll be able to learn skills in the fields of agriculture, foraging, building, survival skills, cooking, remedies and so much more. So whether you’re here as a survivalist, doomsday prepper, homesteader, or just someone who wants to learn something new, I invite you to join me on this journey of self discovery and Reclaim Your Humanity!