為什么充滿激情的家政是有意義的

為什么充滿激情的家政是有意義的

As incomes drop or disappear due to the financial fallout from the coronavirus, many of us who were already spending more time at home will realize that soon we won't be able to afford going out at all. Baking, gardening, and other hyper-local, self-sufficient pursuits are more popular than ever, and likely will be for the near future.

由于冠狀病毒帶來的經(jīng)濟(jì)影響，人們的收入下降或消失，許多原本在家里待的時(shí)間更長(zhǎng)的人很快就會(huì)意識(shí)到，我們根本負(fù)擔(dān)不起外出的費(fèi)用。烘焙、園藝和其他超本地化、自給自足的追求比以往任何時(shí)候都更受歡迎，在不久的將來也很可能如此。

Growing some of your own food can save money, reduce your environmental footprint and give a sense of purpose to your days. (Photo: Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock)

At the same time, concerns about the environment mean individuals, families, friend groups, and communities are looking for ways to create a healthier and more equitable life. That likely means some big shifts are coming — maybe even some radical changes.

與此同時(shí)，對(duì)環(huán)境的關(guān)注意味著個(gè)人、家庭、朋友團(tuán)體和社區(qū)都在尋找方法來創(chuàng)造更健康、更公平的生活。這可能意味著一些重大轉(zhuǎn)變即將到來——甚至可能是一些根本性的變化。

Where better to turn for advice during this time than the Radical Homemaker, aka Shannon Hayes, who publishes a blog and regular essays on the subject? Hayes wants to make social and environmental change (hence the "radical" in her site's title) and also respect the fundamental roots of homemaking.

在這段時(shí)間里，還有誰的建議比徹底的家庭主婦夏儂·海斯更好呢?海斯想要改變社會(huì)和環(huán)境(因此她網(wǎng)站的標(biāo)題是“徹底”)，同時(shí)也尊重家政的根本。

I was surprised to learn that those roots are actually gender-neutral. "In my researching on homemaking, I learned that before it was 'the women's sphere,' it was the first sign of middle class freedom and economic independence as Europe emerged from the dark ages. This is when ordinary men and women were beginning to have the ability to own property and make a household that provided for their sustenance," Hayes told MNN.

“我驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn)，這些詞根實(shí)際上是中性的。在我對(duì)家政的研究中，我了解到，在它成為‘女性天地’之前，它是歐洲走出黑暗時(shí)代，中產(chǎn)階級(jí)自由和經(jīng)濟(jì)獨(dú)立的第一個(gè)標(biāo)志。這是當(dāng)普通的男人和女人開始有能力擁有財(cái)產(chǎn)，使一個(gè)家庭提供他們的生計(jì)，”海斯告訴MNN。

Becoming a radical homemaker

成為一個(gè)徹底的家庭主婦

When she was growing up, Shannon Hayes was was inspired by the self-sufficiency of her neighbors. That planted the seed for her manifesto. (Photo courtesy of Shannon Hayes)

How did she find her way off the beaten path? In the 1980s, the self-described latch-key kid spent time with her elderly neighbors, Ruth and Sanford. She was inspired by their self-sufficiency, which allowed them to live happily on a minimal income. "They mended, repaired, gardened, canned, butchered, berried (yes, they considered that a verb), crocheted, read, played and chatted," writes Hayes in an essay on her site. Still, she went off to college, getting a degree in creative writing from Binghamton University, and then a masters and Ph.D. in sustainable agriculture and community development from Cornell University.

她是如何找到一條不落俗套的路的?上世紀(jì)80年代，這個(gè)自稱“鎖鑰匙”的孩子經(jīng)常和上了年紀(jì)的鄰居露絲和桑福德待在一起。她的靈感來自于他們的自給自足，這使他們能夠靠最低的收入幸福地生活。“他們修補(bǔ)、修理、園藝、罐裝、屠宰、漿果(是的，他們認(rèn)為這是一個(gè)動(dòng)詞)、鉤針編織、閱讀、玩耍和聊天，”海斯在她網(wǎng)站上的一篇文章中寫道。盡管如此，她還是上了大學(xué)，在賓厄姆頓大學(xué)獲得了創(chuàng)意寫作學(xué)位，然后在康奈爾大學(xué)獲得了可持續(xù)農(nóng)業(yè)和社區(qū)發(fā)展的碩士和博士學(xué)位。

But she never forgot how much joy Ruth and Sanford found in their way of living.

但她永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記露絲和桑福德在他們的生活方式中找到了多少快樂。

Drilling down on happiness

深入挖掘幸福

The workshop of a happy tinkerer isn't always tidy. (Photo: AdaCo/Shutterstock)

She found that while the work suited some, there were also homemakers and homesteaders who were miserable. "All of them were masters of canning, mending and gardening. But as they slowly divulged their innermost thoughts, I discovered that only some of them were happy," she writes.

她發(fā)現(xiàn)，雖然這種工作適合一些人，但也有家庭主婦和自耕農(nóng)的痛苦。他們都是罐頭制造、修理和園藝方面的大師。但當(dāng)他們慢慢吐露內(nèi)心深處的想法時(shí)，我發(fā)現(xiàn)只有一部分人是快樂的。”她寫道。

This was important, because, like many of us, Hayes didn't want to put all the work into becoming a passionate homesteader and wind up as miserable — she already knew a more conventional way of living would leave her feeling that way. So as she traveled and talked with people, she noticed that those who were content had something in common: They weren't focused on having the tidiest toolshed, every last detail prepped for, or perfect wood piles.

這一點(diǎn)很重要，因?yàn)橄裎覀冎械脑S多人一樣，海斯不想把所有的精力都投入到成為一個(gè)充滿激情的自耕農(nóng)上，最終落得悲慘的下場(chǎng)——她已經(jīng)知道一種更傳統(tǒng)的生活方式會(huì)讓她有這種感覺。所以，當(dāng)她四處旅行、與人交談時(shí)，她注意到那些滿足于現(xiàn)狀的人有一些共同點(diǎn):他們不會(huì)專注于擁有最整潔的工具棚、為每一個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)做好準(zhǔn)備，或是完美的木樁。

The happy ones were also the messy ones — because they were focused on something that was bigger than themselves. "They had just enough self reliance skills to reduce their dependence on the conventional economy. And they used that freedom to apply themselves to the bigger, tougher projects of making a better world," writes Hayes.

快樂的人同時(shí)也是邋遢的人——因?yàn)樗麄儗Ｗ⒂诒茸约焊匾氖虑椤?ldquo;他們有足夠的自力更生技能來減少對(duì)傳統(tǒng)經(jīng)濟(jì)的依賴。他們利用這種自由，把自己投入到更大、更艱難的項(xiàng)目中，創(chuàng)造一個(gè)更美好的世界。”海斯寫道。

That comes from the sense of community they were able to create, tap into, or become a part of, expanding their worlds outside themselves. And it also meant that they weren't working so hard on a different way of life just for themselves — but as part of creating a better world for all.

這來自于他們能夠創(chuàng)造、開發(fā)或成為社區(qū)的一部分，擴(kuò)展他們的外部世界的感覺。這也意味著他們不是僅僅為了自己而在一種不同的生活方式上努力工作，而是為了為所有人創(chuàng)造一個(gè)更美好的世界。