8 Reasons to be Proud of Being Old-Fashioned

I grew up living out in the country and while my parents weren’t farmers, we did have all number of farmyard animals throughout my childhood including cows, chickens, rabbits, geese and more barn cats than you could shake a stick at. We baled hay and had a huge garden. My father made a lot of our furniture and my mother sewed clothes and did crafts. Every night we sat down at the table and ate together with cloth napkins and homemade food.

I never thought about these things as ‘old fashioned’ because that’s just how life was. Now that I am an adult I realize that these things, and the skills and values that go along with that lifestyle, are far from common. And I can’t tell you how often my friends would laugh at me for doing things ‘the hard way’ instead of simply buying whatever it was.

Today, I would like to tip my hat to all of you living the ‘old fashioned’ lifestyle. Hold your head proud for these eight reasons:

1. You are more independent – If you are ‘old fashioned’ you probably make a lot of your own things from growing/raising/canning food to making your own clothes or cleaning products… you don’t rely on others as much as most people.
2. You have a wide skill list – Whatever kind of ‘old fashioned’ you are, you probably have skills your peers don’t from canning to sewing, mechanical knowledge or even gardening.
3. You can “make-do” with far less – Part of being old-fashioned is being able to solve problems and fix things without running out and buying whatever it is brand new, like patching clothes or fixing things around the house.
4. You are probably healthier – Generally speaking, the old-fashioned lifestyle involves fewer chemicals than more expensive and modern products, so going old-fashioned is definitely better for your health!
5. You are more resilient – Being old-fashioned is hard, and you have to roll with the punches to make things work in this day and age. But it’s okay, because you’re a pro at it!
6. You understand the value of hard work – Sometimes the harder way really is better, and you know when hard work pays off and when to simply take it easy.
7. You respect the Earth – You may or may not be a gardener, but I bet you understand the value of the earth and know how to grow things!
8. You preserve traditions – The little things are just as important, from saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and holding open doors to using grandma’s homemade bread recipe.

What makes you so proud of being old-fashioned? Share with me in the comments!