Beginning in Permaculture

Since the summer of 2012 I (Alex) began to study permaculture, a system which incorporates sustainable living and biodiversity.

It began when we were in Switzerland and while I was being challenged with the question, "what do you want to do or become?" We never realized how challenging that question really was.

For myself, I never took into account what I 'wanted,' I just simply got a job somewhere and worked at what I was good at. My thoughts were; if I pay the bills then that is all that matters, and why work at a job or career that doesn't pay that much. So I began to tell my wife the thoughts that I had about my life. Unfortunately, actually I should say fortunately, Janice wasn't happy with that answer and what wife would be, hearing that your husband doesn't do the things in his heart because of money. So continuously she wold ask me daily, "Do you know what you want to become?"

Day after day for nearly eight months I would reply 'not yet.'

So I began searching, looking at all the things that I am good at and comparing them with the things that I like. It was almost instantly that I understood that farming and gardening was a reoccurring theme in my pursuit. Most of my favorite memories growing up were of my dad showing me how to drive, how to take care of animals and how to plant and harvest almost anything we could think of. So in my mind I had such a similar idea, one day I want to spend time with my son on our farm.

With all that has happened to Janice and I, I sought after a life of sustainability. Not wanting to rely on a grocery store to buy our food or a money based system to live, I explored the world of sustainable living as well as living 'off the grid' and to my amazement a whole world of possibilities erupted. With a wave of success pouring over me I knew I was getting close to what I want I want to do. One day I stumbled upon an article on 'Permaculture' and was amazed at the things that these "permaculturists" were doing around the world, things like greening deserts, turning degraded landscapes into lush vegetation, CREATING SOIL? I was simply amazed. After about a week of simply trying to understand what permaculture is, I began to grasp the fact that this maybe what I always wanted to do.

One night after I finished putting my son to bed I stood up in the middle of the room and suddenly I heard, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?"
Knowing in my mind it was about healing the earth and permaculture I replied, "Yes, I want to do this." and suddenly I saw places and people that I have never seen before almost as if my body was flying around the world. After seeing so much my mind came back to me, all I could hear was, "GOOD, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I HAVE MADE YOU FOR."

With that I fell to the ground weeping, and once my wife came home from work, I told her
I know what I want to do...