Welcome to the Tradin' Post
The Turning Feral Devotional - Day 57
**SPECIAL UPDATE**
Before we dive into today’s devotional I wanted to share exciting news. I am starting a podcast under the ‘Okayest Hunter’ network that is focused on all things trapping! The podcast is aptly titled, ‘The Okayest Trapper,’ and will feature guests from across the spectrum of trapping, hunting, and sustainable-living. Starting this January, you will get to enjoy an episode every two weeks to augment the Turning Feral daily devotional. Check out the pilot introduction episode on Spotify:
Day 57 - Tradin’ posts. You know, the old time general store that has everything? Bolts, food, or any odd or end that you could imagine? One of my youngest memories as a kid was going into an old southern general store, where the owner openly carried two 6-shooter pistols on his hip. I remember being amazed at the breadth of random trinkets that lined the un-dusted shelves ready to be bartered for. But over time those little mom and pop shops have all but died out, only to be replaced by department stores with long rows of LED lights that mute the colors of the floor to ceiling shelves.
And though I haven’t seen too many general store or trading posts in the past two decades, is trading really dead? Well, for the longest time I assumed it was six-feet under and only a memory of a bygone era. Yet, the past few years post-COVID I have seen a a resurgence in the trading community. In our little town for instance trading has become a part of everyday living. Leveraging a private community chat group, if someone needs something (help, a tool, food item, etc.), others chime in and help out… though it’s not a direct trade, often those asking or receiving will offer something in return… something they are uniquely qualified to do, like welding, baking, cleaning, etc.
Though that’s one small data point in an extremely rural community, I am also seeing this crop up in more urban areas. In fact, I recently met a wonderful real estate agent in the Boise metropolitan area who, after some general chatting, started to talk about his desire to live his life in the backcountry one day. His eyes were lit up at the thought and he casually mentioned that he is a part of a community group in Boise that gets together to do group trades and bartering. He said that people bring all sorts of things from hand made trinkets, to fur, breads, milk, and flowers. He then mentioned that oftentimes people with no wares to peddle will show up with skills to trade – you may see a knife sharpener, a tire repairman, or even a calligrapher to participate in the bartering.
As we move into uncertain times it seems we are on a slow regression toward the past, which is one that I fully embrace. That said, if we think about life in a bartering society where old timey tradin’ posts reemerge, there is an importance to ensure that we possess the ability to collect items worthy of trade, or develop unique skills that hold value. Like many in my position who are coming from the ‘old’ American dream of higher education and white picket fences, there is a gap in skill that exists for us. So, as we enter into middle age it’s important to keep a traders mindset and seek to collect skills that will drive value for us personally, as well as for whatever local community we find ourselves a part of.
I’ll end today’s devotional with a quote about western traders in the Montana territory around 1878 – a wild bunch they must have been:
“While the kind of men in one way were shiftless and lazy and despised common work, their life was still harder than any kind of work. Only those who were made of steel could stand the hard knocks they had to go through. They lived out on the wide prairies and in the silent hills and sometimes did not see another person for a whole year. In this life a man soon forgot his father and mother, and even his God. That is, until they came into a trading post.”
- A Tough Trip Through Paradise
Daily Prompt: It’s 2027 and you’ve just walked into a trading post… you’re hungry and need some new clothes. What are you able to trade to get the essential items you need for your family?:
Motivational Passage:
"There are those who argue that everything breaks even in this old dump of a world of ours. I suppose these who argue that way hold that because the rich man gets ice in the summer and the poor man gets it in the winter things are breaking even for both. Maybe so, but I'll swear I can't see it that way."
-Bat Masterson
Rewilding Action: You know the saying ‘overkill is underrated’? Well, that applies to today’s rewilding tip. If you find yourself starting a little homestead, or even just trying to clear a field to grow some crops, there is one universal thing you will run into… ROCKS. Though most of them can be moved by hand or with an excavator, sometimes they are just too big and require a little extra love. That love can come in the form of dynamite or other types of explosives, but the most economical (and the least amount of ATF paperwork) are little microblasters. These aren’t cheap, but having them on hand can be useful when you are needing to break up some big pieces of earth. Enjoy the youtube rabbit hole, here!