Hello, Steemians!
Firstly, the platform looks great, well done to the team and the users for making it what it is. I have only been here for a couple of days so far but can feel it already becoming my new addiction.
About Myself
I am 35, I'm Irish, and somehow, I have managed to end up living and working in remote Australia (essentially a desert). After growing up in an Irish inner-city housing estate, I never imagined my life would take me here. However, needs must, or as Ned Kelly would say, "such is life". I have been here for 5 years.
The most important thing in my life, is finding freedom from the slavery we as a human race have found ourselves subjected to. That desire is what led me firstly to invest in precious metals, and then cryptocurrency, because I believe at the root of the problem is the current fiat monetary system. I believe freedom from the system imposed on us is the key to our freedom from slavery. I'm not naive enough to believe it is as black-and-white as 'crash the system, and we shall be free', but it would certainly be a big push in the right direction. Everything from how we are educated, to the 'healthcare' systems we endure, are fundamental issues to our problems. Our education system in the western world inhibits individualism and promotes collectivism. We are not Borg, we are human. Our healthcare system would rather see us drugged up to our eyeballs for every waking moment of our lives rather than see us healthy. We have become customers, not patients. We need to change.
I don't have all the answers, but by identifying the problems we can work on the solutions. I will jot down my thoughts on the above and more, and post them. Even if I can open one person's eyes I will be happy. They always say, "be the change you want to see", so I began my journey.
Trapped
Image credit: imgur.com - Bondfan007
From my early teens I had felt the pressure of conforming to society. Everyone knows what they want to be when they are older, right? Well, no. I didn't know what I wanted to 'be' back then, but I knew what I didn't want to be. I felt trapped, and I wanted out. By my early 20’s nothing had changed. I had figured out why I felt this way but thought there was nothing I could do about it.
By 25, after 10 years in dead end jobs, spending all my earnings on partying, enough was enough. One of the major contributing factors to my decision was that a number of my friends had committed suicide. Anyone who has lost close friends to suicide will understand the mental anguish it can bring. I had to do something with my life.
The best I could come up with was to get an education, and get a job. Shit plan, right! But, it was a means to an end, or at least to a start. So I played the game. I must admit, my moment of clarity came to me after smoking a pile of weed. I can't remember what I was smoking back then but it certainly hit the spot. My plan was to move as far away as I could and gain my independence. So, I got educated and got out.
One of the hardest things you can ever do in life, is remove yourself from your all your loved ones, and leave. But I felt that I had to do it. Australia was naturally a good choice.
To Australia - The Beginning of my Transition
With my new found education, suit & tie, Irish charm and a wink of the eye, I found a job. The location was perfect. A literal fecking desert!
My playground
Coming from Ireland, where we don't really have any wildlife constantly trying to make us their next meal, that fear was probably the biggest factor to overcome. From swooping magpies trying to eat your eyes out, to deadly snakes, spiders, and drop bears the threat is real. Don't believe me? Let's play 'Spot the Snake':
There is an actual deadly snake in the above. I was hungover and almost stepped on it as it tried to slither under my house.
The other main difference is the heat. The constant blue sky and blistering sunshine. Heaven I hear you say? No, I'm a fair-skinned freckled Irishman. But you do acclimatise, eventually. We are in the middle of Winter here and it is still 66 degrees (19 Celsius) at 9pm. That would be a heatwave back home.
The Goal
The ultimate goal is to live off-grid. Fully sustainable. Grow and eat my own food. Consume my own electricity. You get the idea. I will educate my children in the best manner I can, with or without the education system in the country I choose to live. I believe for myself, I can only be free if I can remove the fear of debt. That fear of always owing and not being able to provide for my family.
I do not believe the constructs of the current system will allow for my freedom any other way. I know I’m probably wrong, but I am a stubborn ass so I will stick with the path I have chosen.
I hate this lifestyle, the 9-to-5. I hate dragging my ass out of bed 5 mornings a week to go and sit at a desk. I hate the clothes I must wear and the car I must drive. Most of all, I miss the people I left behind.
I do feel I have been lucky though. My job is financially rewarding because few people will do it. It has allowed me to save and make small investments. I am getting closer to my goal every day.
For now, I am still part of the system. I continue to conform. But some day I will be free....