Like minded friends

[Chickenlady]

Do you find it difficult to find friends who don't think you are a bit odd if you are a bit of a greenie?

I find that most of mine (and my family too, for that matter) tolerate my views in an affectionate but slightly patronising way (she means well but she is a bit eccentric).

Because my views now affect every aspect of my life I am finding it harder and harder to reconcile our differences. One of my friends just takes the piss most of the time - she thought it was hilarious that I make soap and really believes that the concept of climate change is just media hysteria and that nothing we do could possibly affect the climate. She is a lovely person in many ways, but it is starting to seriously irritate me now.

I know there is more to friendship than shared ethics and politics, but I am thinking of finding some new friends.

Does anybody else find this?

Jane

[Martin]

All the world's a little queer, save thee and me!

[Wombat]

All the world's a little queer, save thee and me!

"And I'm starting to worry a little about thee"

Yup, I know where you are comiong from Jane! It is seeping into my whole life too and I'm sure that if Mrs Wombat was anti- we'd be heading for the divorce courts

It is difficult, but i am afraid that I would find it difficult to call someone who takes the pee out of my core beliefs a friend. Tell her you've taken her comments to heart, we can't direclty affect global warming, we must propitiate the gods - by human sacrfifice - then invite her aound for dinner. (Mwa ha ha ha!) and tell her your serving STAKE!

Nev

[yugogypsy]

Yes, I have some friends who think it odd that I chose this lifestyle, but the majority are like minded, everybody gardens or raises animals and we all get along.

What I am finding hard is like minded people who would like to come and stay for a year to learn if they are newbies to the self-sufficient-ish life.

We have had helpers from Help Exchange and WOOF'ers, but none could stay long. So we're going to try it for one more year while advertising for a permanent farming room mate.

We're liking the neighbours we have now, we all have gardens and chickens, so its nice, but I've run into a lot of people who can't understand my way of life and that old label of "Hippie" pops up.

But I am satisfied with how I live and thats what counts.

Lois

[Millymollymandy]

Everybody in the countryside in France lives like this so we are considered normal!

[Chickenlady]

Well, we seriously looked at moving to Britanny a few years back, but 'chickened' out! This is where I went wrong! Now the kids would seriously object to being moved and are too old to throw into a French school, so it we have definitely missed our window.

Now I think about it, Tom and Barbara had this same problem with Margot and Jerry! I will start calling this particular friend Margot.

It's not as simple as discarding friends like this, though, because in many ways, as I said before, she is extremely nice and supportive. I think I need some close friends that are like me as well - kindred spirits. I wish you lot lived round here!

[baldowrie]

oh yes definitely a 'weird' one here!

People make snap character assessments and because we don't go to the nearest fast food shelf for our food and the children eat home made things like crisps we are weird, according to the mummy mafia and townie teachers who consider picking a wild growing blackberry an extremely hazardous occupation..it might have bugs!

and as for eating eggs that come from chickens bums , definitely a weird practise!

Most of my friends are like minded, these days, with one or two that don't understand the concept of my way of life but adult enough to accept it. As for family the important one understands the rest? Not that bothered about them!

[eccentric_emma]

barely any of my friends are like minded although im managing to turn my mum around - partly coz i think she's sick of me going through her rubbish bin sorting it out! some of my friends say they're like minded but when it actually comes to putting it in action, it's a different story - most of it is lip service, although i have one friend who is very tolerant of me fishing aerosols and tin foil out of her bin! (i get credits for recycling them which i can use to buy trees and fuel logs etc) it can make things really difficult especially when i want a good conversation about green things, but then i'm driven enough to keep on with what makes me happy and to work towards my green goals even if people think im mad. and i'd go mad if the internet hadn't been invented! oh and my husband, although he's not as enthusiastic as i am, is happy to help me every step of the way without a single grumble.

chickenlady : i have a friend who goes to the uni in colchester, i shall find out from her if there are any events or anything that may interest you - as she is quite involved with environmental bits and bobs up there from what i gather. she may only be involved in studenty type stuff but you never know?

[Stonehead]

I just tell people to p*** off. If they laugh and come back, then they must be okay.

Mustn't they, Baldowrie?

[baldowrie]

Sounds about right, although he has not told me to pee off yet so that could be a good thing or a bad thing dependant on how paranoid I am feeling on day!

Or may he has and I told him to go forth.......

[Chickenlady]

I know someone from the Green Party who is very involved in stuff at the uni - spooky if it was the same person...

Stonehead, I am going to try that approach the very next time one of my so-called friends says something sarcastic. I will do it with a smile on my face, and see how many friends I have left this time next week!

Jane

[Stonehead]

Stonehead, I am going to try that approach the very next time one of my so-called friends says something sarcastic. I will do it with a smile on my face, and see how many friends I have left this time next week!

That's the way to do it. A grin and "oh, p*** off". Friends laugh, look sheepish and/or admit to overstepping the mark. Everyone else p***** off.

Good luck!

[Annpan]

We have lost touch with most of our friends from the city now, we had been growing apart for a long time. We got married and bought a house while most of our friends were still at college and living with parents. I guess moving 30 miles away to grow veg and fruit and chickens was the last straw.

We have managed to meet a few like-minded souls in our new neck of the woods though it isn't so easy. We have chosen to raise E differently too, and that can be a big hurdle with other parents.

I am glad I found 'ish' I don't know what I'd do with out this community, you are all so great .

[yugogypsy]

Most of the people I grew up with here opted for higher education, going straight to work, or helping their parents in a business.

Some were from farms, some not. Now, when their kids are nearly grown,they're trickling back into the area and either working in an office or running home-based businesses.

My best like minded friends, I don't get to see very often, because we live some distance apart and getting together is difficult.

Rick's friends are all in the Edmonton area and his family think we're weird living like this.

But I wouldn't trade it for anything! Rick's bringing in the last of the spuds, anyone for purple potatoes for supper?

Lois

[frozenthunderbolt]

We're liking the neighbours we have now, we all have gardens and chickens, so its nice, but I've run into a lot of people who can't understand my way of life and that old label of "Hippie" pops up.

But I am satisfied with how I live and thats what counts.

Lois

indeedy i EMBRACE the label 'hippy' fits me to a tee (minus the drug associations!)

"Happy to be Hippy" - should be a bumper sticker