Staying Afloat

[ysabetwordsmith]

Academia: Staying Afloat

You are the right person to do what you do, know what you know, study what you’re going to study. You do it.

You are a lifeboat.

You are not the passenger being rescued from a shipwreck. You are the rescuer. Your skills, your knowledge, your experience reside in you. You have pulled them from the cold ocean where cruel and careless captains have set them adrift.

You are a lifeboat.


This isn't just about academia. It's about knowledge in general, and knowing how to think about things. It's about activism in general, and knowing how to change things. It's about crafting in general, and knowing how to make things. It's about everything the current regime is against, and trying to destroy, that we actually do need.

It's not about winning. It's about surviving. It's about preserving skills and knowledge so we can pass them on. If I lean to my left, I can see my "lifeboat" bookcase -- science, homesteading, handicrafts, historic skills, etc. Because I've done this before, and whenever I'm in a life where I can afford to do so, I hoard books and those are some of the first ones I beeline for.

If you're reading this blog, chances are, you're a lifeboat too. Steer wisely through these rough waters.

Comments

I needed to hear this, today especially

[dialecticdreamer]

I love collecting information, skills, and ideas. I've always hoped to pass on more of them than I have actually managed, but this post gives me hope that there's still time, that there are opportunities ahead.

Re: I needed to hear this, today especially

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I love collecting information, skills, and ideas. <<

You're good at it.

>> I've always hoped to pass on more of them than I have actually managed, but this post gives me hope that there's still time, that there are opportunities ahead.<<

One way is through writing.

Another is random chance. Last farmer's market, I got into a conversation with a baker. She mentioned that she doesn't do sourdough but is curious about it. So I talked a bit about pros and cons, suggested starting with a reliable culture and then experimenting with wild ones. She didn't know, for instance, that the white bloom on grapes is yeast and can be cultured. Just a random encounter, but it was fun for both of us, and maybe she'll decide to pursue sourdough eventually.

I'm an information dispensary. I just give off information like other people give off body heat.

Re: I needed to hear this, today especially

[gatheringrivers]

We need more information dispensaries! :)

Re: I needed to hear this, today especially

[ysabetwordsmith]

Especially in a world infested with "alternative facts." 0_o

Forget everything else

[gothfvck]

Pssh. I'm here to WIN.

https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=JrO46CJd9ns

Also, I'm not some life boat. I'm an evil, grand space boat!

[kat_lair]

Good link, will be sending to some colleagues.

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I hope it helps.

Re: I needed to hear this, today especially

[dialecticdreamer]

I've gotten into discussions with adults who were born the same decade that I was, who haven't expanded their palates beyond four or five vegetables, two fruits, and processed meats. Having to pause a conversation and backtrack to explain how to make mashed potatoes (which doesn't involve a box of flakes) has made me realize that the knowledge and skills that I generally take for granted are in decreasing supply.

Meanwhile, I spotted tagatines in a Tasting History video, and have fussed with the recipe to make it using a mix of sesame seeds, chickpea flour, and unbleached flour, in order to maximize the nutty flavor. It only took two steps to get to the flavor and texture profile I wanted, but that level of cooking skill is increasingly unusual.

So, now I just need more ways to share that information. *G*

Re: I needed to hear this, today especially

[dialecticdreamer]

Oh, please, "alternative facts" are pernicious lies that too many people are WILLING to believe.

I was talking to someone, paused to say, "Don't quote me on the date, but it was the middle of X century when..." I included the disclaimer because dating an event OFF by even two years can have significant... misapplications, shall we say, and that error margin is rapidly becoming a favorite tool of the "alternative fact" crowd.

"More people were deported in Obama's administration than ever before," was an example, when in my view, the problem is HOW Trump's administrations conducted those deportations, especially recently.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/19/obama-trump-deportation-numbers/84257245007/

Re: I needed to hear this, today especially

[greghousesgf]

Yay! Another Tasting History fan!