There is a new survival show on the Discovery Channel and it’s called “Raising Wild.” If you enjoyed watching the Brown family of “Alaskan Bush People,” then this reality series will be right up your alley. There have been rumors that the new show could fall into the danger zone with their ratings as a “clone” of Brown’s story, but others think it could represent some serious competition for them as well. Both patriarchs have taken their families off the grid and into a homesteading situation, which is being filmed for viewers who wonder what it would be like to say goodbye to civilization and live more naturally. We think that “Raising Wild” has some excellent lessons that we could all benefit from learning, and here are five of them.
1. It’s possible to live without modern conveniences
Spoiled by a world that is filled with modern conveniences, we enjoy our smartphones and other smart appliances such as televisions, and even heating, cooling and lighting devices which can be controlled from wherever we are by the push of a phone button. The world around us has changed dramatically in the last 50 years and it’s possible that most of us have gone soft. Could we make it in an environment where there are no electronics, and where we have to carry water to a home that is devoid of electricity just to cook, clean and have hydration? The biggest lesson that the show teaches us is that we’ve become too dependent on electronics and we spend too much time being entertained by our modern devices. We’re missing out on the real world and it is possible to live without a cell phone glued to your ear because the Hines family is showing us how it’s done.
2. You can realize your dreams
Brett Hines is the father of the Hines family. He served as an Army counterintelligence officer and was a military contractor prior to his retirement. He was gravely injured and nearly died from the incident. This served as a wake-up call for Hines. He had always wanted to live life off of the grid and this was the factor that pushed him over the edge. He made up his mind that it was time for him to go for it without reservation. He made the decision that he and his family were going to set up their own homestead and he didn’t let any grass grow under his feet once he made up his mind. The lesson that we learn from Hines is that we can realize our dreams, but it takes definitive action instead of just thinking or talking about it. If you have a dream, the only way that you’re ever going to be able to actually live it is to just do it and don’t wait for the perfect time to do so because it may never come.
3. We learn about self-sufficiency
Have you ever stopped to think about the myriad of services that we depend upon just for our very existence? We depend on electricity to power our electric ranges, microwave ovens, coffee makers and so forth. What if this was taken away? If you don’t pay your water bill and they turn it off, are you near a potable water source? Would you know how to purify your own water? Let’s say that you weren’t close enough to a market to buy bottled water. What would you do? Something this simple teaches us that we rely on others to maintain our food, shelter, and clothing, which are basic elements of survival. When it comes to meal preparation, we go to the market to buy what we need, and some of us live off of TV dinners or microwavable foods because they’re fast and convenient. What if there was no market nearby and you could only get to town every few months? When we see how the Hines family lives, we understand that they are not depending on the convenience of a mini-mart or restaurant down the street for food. In one episode, they wanted pizza, so the boys built themselves an outdoor pizza oven out of rocks and other natural resources. They bought the ingredients on a trip to town and made their own oven-fired pizza. It took them a while and a lot of effort to carry all the big rocks down from the hills nearby, but if they wanted to have this special treat, which many of us take for granted, they had to use their ingenuity to build an oven to cook it. The family is moving towards self-sufficiency, but it’s going to take them a while to reach their goal. They still depend on assistance from the outside world, but they’re moving in the right direction. The greatest lesson that we learn from this show is that we are all heavily dependent on others for our very existence whether we want to admit it or not.
4. We’re tougher than we think
While it’s true that humans have, in general, gone extremely soft and dependent, it doesn’t mean that we can’t adapt to a new environment. The Hines family is showing us that it is possible to go from having all of the modern conveniences found in civilization to becoming self-sufficient and surviving in a homesteading situation. The kids seem to be having fun while they’re coming up with new ways to improve their lives and make basic survival a bit easier. The series is teaching us that we’re tougher than we think and it is possible to survive without running water or electricity.
5. The tough times can bring families closer together
“Raising Wild” teaches us a final important lesson. Going off the grid and surviving outside of civilization takes a commitment on the parts of all of the members of a family. There are few outsiders around and when you’re surviving without modern entertainment devices, you have to make your own fun. The situation can either make or break a family, depending on the attitudes of everyone involved. It takes teamwork and everyone pulling their share of the load. The work is hard and it’s constant, but the Hines’ situation has made it necessary for everyone to get along and work together so they can have the basics of life covered, such as food, shelter, clothing and so forth. They must all spend time together, communicate, and share common goals. There are no distractions such as television, phones or other electronics, it’s just quality time spent with family and occasionally a friend or distant neighbor who drops by. It’s a tough way of life but it can bring a family much closer together.
