Like most summers, mine has gotten away from me.
Nostalgically, I sifted through my journal to relive farm days of the past.
I was struck by the number of entries containing, titled, or themed skilling up.
Skilling up means something different for everyone and depends on one's currents skills and their desired skills to up. Skilling up is relative. Skilling up, to me, means learning to work with the land as well as obtaining exposure to common sense skills. By living in-town with able and willing parents, machines, gadgets, and electronics, I somehow missed many basic skills. A 20-some year skill hiccup.
Glacial Lakes Permaculture recently offered a Permaculture Weekend. I was aware of the skilling up I needed, but it was at the weekend workshop that I truly experienced my skill inadequacies. Permaculture is really for the well-rounded. It involves math, mapping (I was humbled by the amount of time it took me to draw a plot to scale), botany, seasonal foresight, critical thinking (both theoretical and practical), carpentry, gardening, livestock sensibilities, etc. A [talented] permaculturist is truly a 'Jack of All Trades'. This is not to say that those of us suffering from a life of hiccups should leave permaculture to someone else. Instead of learning from lifestyle, we'll learn from immediate experience.
Luckily, my mentor is a patient and generous teacher. I've been lucky enough to: participate in the carpentry of a new shed; imagine, contour measure, and dig a pond; create and apply alternative mulching; build an espalier; and even learn and practice the simplest of gardening actions.
Masking skill-hiccups does no favors.
The key is: Ask Questions. Listen Carefully. Try it. No Shame.
Nostalgically, I sifted through my journal to relive farm days of the past.
I was struck by the number of entries containing, titled, or themed skilling up.
Skilling up means something different for everyone and depends on one's currents skills and their desired skills to up. Skilling up is relative. Skilling up, to me, means learning to work with the land as well as obtaining exposure to common sense skills. By living in-town with able and willing parents, machines, gadgets, and electronics, I somehow missed many basic skills. A 20-some year skill hiccup.
Glacial Lakes Permaculture recently offered a Permaculture Weekend. I was aware of the skilling up I needed, but it was at the weekend workshop that I truly experienced my skill inadequacies. Permaculture is really for the well-rounded. It involves math, mapping (I was humbled by the amount of time it took me to draw a plot to scale), botany, seasonal foresight, critical thinking (both theoretical and practical), carpentry, gardening, livestock sensibilities, etc. A [talented] permaculturist is truly a 'Jack of All Trades'. This is not to say that those of us suffering from a life of hiccups should leave permaculture to someone else. Instead of learning from lifestyle, we'll learn from immediate experience.
Luckily, my mentor is a patient and generous teacher. I've been lucky enough to: participate in the carpentry of a new shed; imagine, contour measure, and dig a pond; create and apply alternative mulching; build an espalier; and even learn and practice the simplest of gardening actions.
Masking skill-hiccups does no favors.
The key is: Ask Questions. Listen Carefully. Try it. No Shame.
okay, maybe a little shame..
Copyright © 2011 Jacquelyn Marie Schneller.
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