the
retro
life

Retrograde Solutions for Modern Issues

retro food

Many of my great-grandparents lived into their 90s. They ate butter, bacon and beef liver almost daily. When I was little, this was considered a paradox. But as I got older, and gained a basic understanding of statistics, I realized this was improbable. They didn’t “defy the odds” and live a long and healthy life despite indulging in calorie-dense foods. They lived into their 90s because of these foods.

I’d hate to suggest that the medical establishment doesn’t have your best interests in mind, when they try to get you to subsist on salads, juice and pills, but consider the profit motive. Plus, your average family physician looks like a cross between a closeted vampire and an Oompa Loompa. Why take their advice when it comes to food? They didn’t even have nutrition classes in medical school. Go ahead and ask your doctor…it’s true!

retro fitness

Here’s a complete list of all the things you need to stay fit: sunlight and gravity. “But these things are free!” you might notice. Exactly.

My grandfather rode his humble, steel-frame bike through the hills of Maine for 20 miles a day well into his 80s. You don’t need the latest, newfangled exercise equipment nor targeted supplements. What you need is commitment and consistency.

  • Breathe fresh air and let the sun hit your face as we focus on movement, body alignment, and strength & conditioning.

  • In the 80’s, kids didn’t sit around on their asses. Let’s get them back outside moving their bodies through space, with fun & games and old fashioned hard work.

  • The goal here is to get groups of people together to play all the old favorites...things like Capture the Flag. Exercise doesn’t have to be miserable (it should be fun).

retro ideas

I realize the irony of suggesting retrograde solutions while reaching people through the digitized tentacles of the web. But I regard myself as a sort of “secular Amish” person; one who evaluates new technological advances based on their pros and cons. After all, I’m glad we no longer have to wipe our butts with corn cobs, and even the Amish have washing machines.

But technological progression isn’t always linear, as the powers-that-be might claim. Some advances in technology are regressive, or they lead to regressive results. Have you seen all the people glued to their smart phones lately? Clearly, a visiting alien would see these hunchbacked zombies and think less of us as a species. And it’s only going to get worse!

Also, “retrograde” doesn’t mean old-fashioned — it means doing things in opposition to the norm; going against the flow. When society zigs? You zag. You have to question everything. This is what The Retro Life is about. It’s about the ceaseless questioning of societal conventions. My wife and I never stop examining and reconfiguring our lives. It’s where the magic happens.

who are we?

Is it hubris to use the phrase “intrepid explorers?” Perhaps. But we are a family of 3 who never stop seeking, as we continually try to find the best way to live. So far in this journey, we’ve resided in 9 different states and have visited 20 countries, as we compare and contrast cultures, trying to zero in on what makes living, well, worth living. From investigating co-housing in Denmark, to living with another family on a ranch outside of Austin, TX we’ve experimented with lots of different configurations. What we’ve learned in all of our experiences is that it all boils down to one thing…spending time together.

So we prioritize time as a family. We work from home and homeschool so that we can live a life outside of alarm clocks. We cook 99% of our meals and we do it from scratch. We avoid almost all distractions, and this includes, TV, paid-for hobbies, and anything that might have the word “amusement” in it. We’re trying to distill life down to its very essence, and in order to do this, we’ve learned that you have to go backwards (in order to go forwards). It’s a slower and more deliberate life, an analog life, in an increasingly digitized and frenetic world.