It hit me whilst browsing some other blogs about parenting; The Minimalist Mom, The imagination tree and Little eco footprints. And now, having seen the way other people come across on their blogs, I can explain the content of my blog with one wonderful word, Alternative. Let me explain first by examining what I see as being the opposite to "Alternative":
The Anti-to my "alternative" can be encompassed in three words; conventional, mainstream and conformist. I see these things as following the status-quo, not questioning, accepting the way things are, not hoping for change. Also, (perhaps rather more controversially) I see this way of life as being Capitalist; a life in which on strives for always more money and/or power; consumerism.
My life, and this blog is about getting more of other things in my life than money, stuff and power. More love, more joy, more peace, greater satisfaction, better relationships, greater autonomy, more self-reliance when it comes to material things, better quality of life. And in so doing, following a way of life which is alternative to the mainstream of what most people do; challenging what is the norm and being more mindful of the planet as I do so. Putting this into practical terms means my blog is about:
- Trying to be financially self-sufficient through working for myself, selling my wares (Art, crafts) and my skills (teaching, photography),
- Trying to be more environmentally friendly and self-sufficient through growing my own veg (Allotment), making things rather than buying them (crafts) and doing things that help the environment, or at the least cause it less damage,
- Following alternative parenting approaches, (attachment parenting, eco-parenting)
- Differentiating myself from secular, mainstream society, living a "good" life, (Christianity)
- Thinking about life, the world and everything in a different way, not conforming to how society expects me to behave, act, dress etc.
And all these things are of course interconnecting, so it looks something like this:
A bit messy I know, but that's just me!
On the outside my life looks fairly ordinary, I am a new mum, currently on maternity leave, married for 3 years, living in a two bed semi in the suburbs of a large south-eastern town, but inside, I feel anything but ordinary.
On the outside my life looks fairly ordinary, I am a new mum, currently on maternity leave, married for 3 years, living in a two bed semi in the suburbs of a large south-eastern town, but inside, I feel anything but ordinary.
So in summary, this blog is about my life...my Alternative life, my extraordinary life, the truth.
Hope you like it!
