Leaving The Reservation

A silent tide is sweeping across the country among family men of a certain age. Men who’ve decided that they are done living on the government’s terms, shrugging off the tight-fitting version of suburban success with an ease they never thought possible. They’re walking off the reservation on their own terms, without anyone taking slightest bit of notice.

These men don’t show up at Tea Party rallies, march on Washington or join militias. They go to work, love their wives, pay their never-ending taxes, fees, surcharges and diligently raise the next responsible generation. Most people would call these solid men our nation’s backbone.

Many have served our country, in war zones, with distinguished honor. They gladly earn their bread while supporting complete strangers who don’t, can’t or won’t work. They span the spectrum from blue collar workers to successful entrepreneurs. A number of these good men have been sniffing the wind for the past two years and they’re calling it a day. Bolt holes are being created, money is being transferred out of the market and into solid commodities, debt load is being reduced with an eye towards further economic collapse. Politics have become meaningless to this breed, they’re done, disgusted, fed up with whole cesspool. These men are looking at American life in a whole new way.

Property is being bought on the edge of small towns, small tracts of rural acreage in conservative counties. Old houses are being remodeled, small houses are being built. A smaller footprint is being purposely crafted. Off the grid, a new conservative form of green, has been embraced with deep fervor. Wells, solar panels, windmills, rain barrels, compost toilets and septic systems are the order of the day. Anything to fly under the government’s creeping hand is welcomed to the table.

Large gardens are being planted, the fading skills of canning are being embraced. Chickens, goats and the occasional pig are living in their newly erected barns. Organic methods of treating the land or raising livestock are embraced as cost-effective alternatives to expensive chemicals. Buying in bulk resonates on a deeper level and sustainable living has taken on a whole new meaning for these traditional men now facing middle age in our country’s massively regulated and rapidly changing landscape.

These men are rediscovering their tool boxes with enthusiasm. Fixing, building and creating this brave new world satisfies their craving for competent simplicity. They don’t want to rely on anyone else, self-sufficiency and mastery of old skills fit their newly independent skins, many hope to take their emerging craftsmanship commercial, if their worst fears come to pass.

Guns have always been a part of the vernacular for these particular men. Time spent at the lease, on far-flung hunting trips or at the range define who they are at the most fundamental level. These men shoot well and take pleasure in their firearms, they take serious pride in their wide knowledge and responsible handling of weapons. Fearing onerous legislation from the current ruling congress, they reasonably stocked up on guns and ammunition with no intention of ever sparking an insurrection. Hunting game as a sustainable food stuff has become a keen topic of discussion, shooting at the Feds or agitating for secession holds no appeal at all.

Flying under the radar, getting out from under the yoke, becoming free men, rather than shackled dogs or besuited grey ghosts, is the juice fueling their passion. These men don’t want to argue politics and they have no interest in fighting, not anymore.

These men have decided that what they want most of all, is to finally start living.