by Hannah Curtis

Created on: November 02, 2008   Last Updated: February 28, 2009

The term "self-sufficiency" eludes to independent survival; a way of life is followed resulting in the individuals involved not being dependent upon others, and this can take many forms.

All young adults reach a moment in life when they realise that it is time for them to cut ties with their parents and survive, they have the instinct and desire to be self-sufficient and independent from their parents. This requires a job, regular income and the responsibility to deal with bills, taxes and food. Traditionally this form of self-sufficiency has been possible to reach once a decent steady income is coming in. In today's culture however, especially in this repression, this self-sufficiency is becoming harder to obtain, young adults such as myself are forced by financial circumstances to remain home longer with their parents.

Another form of self-sufficiency revolves around the concept of debt. In an ideal world I would not comprehend a reliance on banks, governments to live, I maintain that we should be self-sufficient and be able to live comfortably within our income, and adjust lifestyle accordingly to it. However I also realistically acknowledge that it is extremely hard, if not impossible to live this way in our modern age. The majority of students cannot afford a roof over our heads, a higher education, holidays, even weddings, without being forced into thousands of debt. Self-sufficiency in this instance is a dream; although it is possible to escape full dependence on the dole, we all are in debt in some form or other, even if it is simply an overdraft.

A further form of self-sufficiency is growing vegetables and fruit in a small holding/allotment, so not to be completely dependant on shops for food. I grew up watching the comedy sitcom "The Good Life, starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington. This is a fantastically amusing show, one I have watched time and time again. Who can fail to laugh at Margo's horror as she peers over the Good's fence, seeing the lawn gone, vegetables growing in place of plants, while the pigs are grunting in their homemade sty?

However I must admit that the situation became less amusing when the activities of the Good family on the screen became reality for my family. Roughly a decade ago my mother decided to turn her hand at handling an allotment. All well and good, except for a tiny flaw in the plan. Instead of renting a small allotment, she decided to rid our huge garden of its garden furniture,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>