Good one, I can definitely empathize a lot. Today I got stung by a scorpion hiding in a biece of bamboo, and bitten by two leeches and countless mosquitoes. Rainy season here is no walk in the park. You made a lot of really important points here, and I wholeheartedly share your views. Modern life has made us soft, and we have to rediscover the sort of toughness that comes with living a lifestyle more in line with the ecological reality we evolved for. I find it unfortunate that the political right has appropriated the concept of "toughness" & "strength," because that's kind of exactly what we'll need more of over the coming years and decades, no matter where on the political spectrum we find ourselves.
The so-called simple life can be difficult as hell, but in contrast to wage slavery at least it's worth it!
Living in Florida I'm somewhat acclimated to heat and creepy crawly things. But can't say I've woken up to a cobra or tarantula before. That'll get the heart racing.
Oh man Gregory, as an 'institutionalized socialite' myself - claiming to be a naturalist - this reading awakened me to so much that I truly don't know about being in the natural world - wholly and holistically. I have grown up only knowing the 'situated wilderness' of national parks, campsites, and what little touches of the wild show up in my Phoenix 'citied' neighborhood - the occasional snake, a raven caw - very little crossings of the rodents and prudential en-masse of insectoids due to the overprotective insecticides placating our own Human worthiness of comfort...
I feel tied into these comforts by my own story of chronic illness (a whole un-packing I cannot do here) - so, the city is my home-stead. Where the people I care for, and am cared for - reside. It's a tough awareness to hold that - I belong "Out there" (notice the separative ideology) while my body has to reside "In Here" for the care it needs to function.
A tricky conundrum indeed. As someone attempting to "rewild" I must confess that still, some ten plus years into this experiment, I feel woefully inadequate. Increasingly I feel that part of our journey now is to mature enough that we don't need to experience the changes ourselves, it isn't for us. we are laying the groundwork for a time we will never see. Im sure you are doing much of this good work from within the city. Thank you for that. I tip my hat to you.
thank you greg. the story with the cobra hit me hard. happy to continue reading your perception on humans disconnected relationship to mother earth while finding myself on the same journey. greetings from an eco guesthouse in austria where i work for some months with laura. also here we can observe to some extent similar patterns, both inside and outside of us. i am referring to longings for post modernities comforts as you call it, as well as the understanding that a continuous path won’t be feasible (and not desirable). warm hugs from both of us
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 great post! Yes for 20 years now i have been living in open air bamboo huts/houses ... my son and i, our 2 cats and 2 dogs share our humble abode with numerous house lizards, 10 tokays, banded bullfrogs, black spined toads, huge huntsman spiders, scaly breasted munias and a hive of wild honey bees. I wouldnt trade it for anything. Ok so the Tokays create quite the shitstorm but i prefer this to the sterility of modern human existence. Currently bamboo rats are my biggest nemesis and termites cause continuous underlying concern but again, my surroundings are a salve that soothes me. I have yet to be awoken by a tarantula or a cobra, but i did have a season where it rained scorpions and centipedes from the rafters! Talk about needing tp be vigilant! What troubles me most is that despite how many proclaim that they love nature, when it comes right down to it, they prefer a quick instaworthy photo than to really embrace living fully in it.
Good one, I can definitely empathize a lot. Today I got stung by a scorpion hiding in a biece of bamboo, and bitten by two leeches and countless mosquitoes. Rainy season here is no walk in the park. You made a lot of really important points here, and I wholeheartedly share your views. Modern life has made us soft, and we have to rediscover the sort of toughness that comes with living a lifestyle more in line with the ecological reality we evolved for. I find it unfortunate that the political right has appropriated the concept of "toughness" & "strength," because that's kind of exactly what we'll need more of over the coming years and decades, no matter where on the political spectrum we find ourselves.
The so-called simple life can be difficult as hell, but in contrast to wage slavery at least it's worth it!
Nice post.
Living in Florida I'm somewhat acclimated to heat and creepy crawly things. But can't say I've woken up to a cobra or tarantula before. That'll get the heart racing.
Oh man Gregory, as an 'institutionalized socialite' myself - claiming to be a naturalist - this reading awakened me to so much that I truly don't know about being in the natural world - wholly and holistically. I have grown up only knowing the 'situated wilderness' of national parks, campsites, and what little touches of the wild show up in my Phoenix 'citied' neighborhood - the occasional snake, a raven caw - very little crossings of the rodents and prudential en-masse of insectoids due to the overprotective insecticides placating our own Human worthiness of comfort...
I feel tied into these comforts by my own story of chronic illness (a whole un-packing I cannot do here) - so, the city is my home-stead. Where the people I care for, and am cared for - reside. It's a tough awareness to hold that - I belong "Out there" (notice the separative ideology) while my body has to reside "In Here" for the care it needs to function.
A tricky conundrum indeed. As someone attempting to "rewild" I must confess that still, some ten plus years into this experiment, I feel woefully inadequate. Increasingly I feel that part of our journey now is to mature enough that we don't need to experience the changes ourselves, it isn't for us. we are laying the groundwork for a time we will never see. Im sure you are doing much of this good work from within the city. Thank you for that. I tip my hat to you.
To say : Wow, thank you. You put ease to my tension. Thank you for seeing me.
To say : Wow, thank you. You put ease to my tension. Thank you for seeing me.
thank you greg. the story with the cobra hit me hard. happy to continue reading your perception on humans disconnected relationship to mother earth while finding myself on the same journey. greetings from an eco guesthouse in austria where i work for some months with laura. also here we can observe to some extent similar patterns, both inside and outside of us. i am referring to longings for post modernities comforts as you call it, as well as the understanding that a continuous path won’t be feasible (and not desirable). warm hugs from both of us
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 great post! Yes for 20 years now i have been living in open air bamboo huts/houses ... my son and i, our 2 cats and 2 dogs share our humble abode with numerous house lizards, 10 tokays, banded bullfrogs, black spined toads, huge huntsman spiders, scaly breasted munias and a hive of wild honey bees. I wouldnt trade it for anything. Ok so the Tokays create quite the shitstorm but i prefer this to the sterility of modern human existence. Currently bamboo rats are my biggest nemesis and termites cause continuous underlying concern but again, my surroundings are a salve that soothes me. I have yet to be awoken by a tarantula or a cobra, but i did have a season where it rained scorpions and centipedes from the rafters! Talk about needing tp be vigilant! What troubles me most is that despite how many proclaim that they love nature, when it comes right down to it, they prefer a quick instaworthy photo than to really embrace living fully in it.