为什么充满激情的家政是有意义的

为什么充满激情的家政是有意义的

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.

由于冠状病毒带来的经济影响，人们的收入下降或消失，许多原本在家里待的时间更长的人很快就会意识到，我们根本负担不起外出的费用。烘焙、园艺和其他超本地化、自给自足的追求比以往任何时候都更受欢迎，在不久的将来也很可能如此。

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.

与此同时，对环境的关注意味着个人、家庭、朋友团体和社区都在寻找方法来创造更健康、更公平的生活。这可能意味着一些重大转变即将到来——甚至可能是一些根本性的变化。

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.

在这段时间里，还有谁的建议比彻底的家庭主妇夏侬·海斯更好呢?海斯想要改变社会和环境(因此她网站的标题是“彻底”)，同时也尊重家政的根本。

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.

“我惊讶地发现，这些词根实际上是中性的。在我对家政的研究中，我了解到，在它成为‘女性天地’之前，它是欧洲走出黑暗时代，中产阶级自由和经济独立的第一个标志。这是当普通的男人和女人开始有能力拥有财产，使一个家庭提供他们的生计，”海斯告诉MNN。

Becoming a radical homemaker

成为一个彻底的家庭主妇

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.

她是如何找到一条不落俗套的路的?上世纪80年代，这个自称“锁钥匙”的孩子经常和上了年纪的邻居露丝和桑福德待在一起。她的灵感来自于他们的自给自足，这使他们能够靠最低的收入幸福地生活。“他们修补、修理、园艺、罐装、屠宰、浆果(是的，他们认为这是一个动词)、钩针编织、阅读、玩耍和聊天，”海斯在她网站上的一篇文章中写道。尽管如此，她还是上了大学，在宾厄姆顿大学获得了创意写作学位，然后在康奈尔大学获得了可持续农业和社区发展的硕士和博士学位。

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

但她永远不会忘记露丝和桑福德在他们的生活方式中找到了多少快乐。

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.

她发现，虽然这种工作适合一些人，但也有家庭主妇和自耕农的痛苦。他们都是罐头制造、修理和园艺方面的大师。但当他们慢慢吐露内心深处的想法时，我发现只有一部分人是快乐的。”她写道。

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.

这一点很重要，因为像我们中的许多人一样，海斯不想把所有的精力都投入到成为一个充满激情的自耕农上，最终落得悲惨的下场——她已经知道一种更传统的生活方式会让她有这种感觉。所以，当她四处旅行、与人交谈时，她注意到那些满足于现状的人有一些共同点:他们不会专注于拥有最整洁的工具棚、为每一个细节做好准备，或是完美的木桩。

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.

快乐的人同时也是邋遢的人——因为他们专注于比自己更重要的事情。“他们有足够的自力更生技能来减少对传统经济的依赖。他们利用这种自由，把自己投入到更大、更艰难的项目中，创造一个更美好的世界。”海斯写道。

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.

这来自于他们能够创造、开发或成为社区的一部分，扩展他们的外部世界的感觉。这也意味着他们不是仅仅为了自己而在一种不同的生活方式上努力工作，而是为了为所有人创造一个更美好的世界。