Possum Living may be extreme, but if it works for you…
In the 1970′s, Dolly Freed and her dad, “lived off the land,” in a garage they (barely) renovated on a half-acre lot outside of Philadelphia, raising rabbits and chickens in the basement to eat, foraging and fishing and generally eschewing the money culture.
But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Theo re-released Possum Living, written by Freed, is most definitely not an early version of Barbara Kingsolver’s acclaimed Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. In fact, I think that 19-year-old Dolly would most likely have been righteously offended by Kingsolver’s inspirational “back-to-the-land” experiment.
Why did Freed and her father choose to live what others might deem a hard life devoid of modern conveniences (which they emphatically did not see as a negative)? They didn’t want their lives “to be at the mercy of the fluctuations of the economy.” That they figured out how to escape the rat race and have the life they wanted is admirable. But Freed’s cynical, self-righteous tone grates and is anything but endearing. Hard to find inspiration here.
In an update by the author at the end of the book though, (for which I was grateful), Freed says, “The whole point of Possum Living is to point out that you do have choices; you can take control of your life.” Bingo!
If you have any inclination to forsake the life you have for something simpler, yet are terrified to leave it all behind, Possum Living makes it obvious that happily existing on a lot less is possible. It also supports the idea that the reality of your life lies in how you view it. Freed’s firm opinions vis a vis what is needed for a contented life are based on her enjoyment of hard work, “skill-building,” and challenges, coupled with the inflexible conviction of youth.
If you do choose the path of most resistance or just like to read about those who do, you’ll find lots of practical information on everything from raising those rabbits in your basement to how to do them in (obviously less difficult for someone apparently as apologetically pragmatic as Freed). Her instructions on buying a foreclosure certainly are timely though I have no idea whether or not they would apply today. Most likely though, you’ll want to ignore her advice on dealing with lawyers and others who threaten your rosy, hard won existence. It’s not pretty. (Thankfully, a mature Freed repudiates it in the updated information section.)
Still, Possum Living offers lots of practical ideas and lessons, the most important of which are at the end of the book when Freed looks back at her younger self and unlike many women, gives herself a break. I think it would have been helpful to have that material moved to the front, prior to the story’s beginning, where it might have softened my irritation with the book’s initial tone.
Dolly Freed went on to become a NASA aerospace engineer. Surely her experiences as a young woman as charted in Possum Living, gave her the confidence to pursue what she wanted despite the obstacles. After acing the SATs with an education gleaned from the public library, she put herself through college. She’s been an environmental educator, business owner, and college professor and lives in Texas with her husband and two children. While she no longer embraces Possum Living to the extreme she did as a teenager, it still informs her life. And for those of us craving simplicity, it can help inform ours as well.
Have you read Possum Living? What do you think?
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.
