Independence Day

This is way late but one great way to increase independence would be to

learn & practice basic life skills.

By that I mean things like:

• auto maintenance - changing the oil, replacing a leaking or worn-out tire, etc.
• light repairs around the house. Think unclogging the drainpipe under the sink (or replacing it), lubricating door hinges & locks. Simple tasks.
• read the weather. Look at the sky, feel the wind (if any), etc. Learn how to detect incoming storms. If you get good enough at it you won't need to watch the weather report anymore.

Once you've mastered the basics, if you want to take your independence to the next level then

go DIY.

as in Do It Yourself. There are so many directions you can go with a DIY lifestyle. I've led a DIY life for many years, to varying degrees. Never regretted it once. It can be difficult, & it often involves a lot of work, but it is also quite fulfilling. There is real satisfaction & pride in knowing you can make or build something on your own instead of ordering it online, or running to the nearest store to buy some manufactured product. A few suggestions:

• woodwork - build your furniture. Bookshelves, computer desk, whatever you need. It can be as basic or complex as you like.
• sewing - pick up the basic hand stitches, then get a sewing machine & learn how to use it. Once you do that, you can make as many things to wear as you like. Or a completely custom purse.
• gardening - if you have cultivatable land, great. Even if you don't, if you have sufficient sunlight in a small area you can put out a few containers of potting soil. Grow some tomatoes, herbs, etc. Fresh produce with no preservatives, that taste better than anything in the supermarket.
• computer mods - if you use a desktop, you can swap out components. Add memory, add a second hard drive, better graphics card, whatever meets your needs.

The above are just a few suggestions; there are many more ways to go. And it's easier to learn all these things than at any time in history. Basic info is literally at your fingertips. Go to "Youtoob University" & you can learn for free! Literally thousands of how-to books on every possible subject have been published. You can buy or rent them. There is no reason not to learn useful skills, & add to your "bag of tricks".

I could try to do more things for myself.  I do most things for myself, but not everything.

@adventurousBranch3786

Hello,😊 my friend long time since I saw your name. Probably cause I had not been able to be online for some time. Keep up the good work my friend.👋