From Nero to Gaddafi
The Turning Feral Journal - Day 53
Day 54: History repeats itself – a saying that has been a common denominator through all centuries. People rise to power, they abuse it, they fall. From Nero to Gaddafi, it’s been proven that absolute power corrupts absolutely and with that corruption comes violence, innocent death, and the eventual downfall of society.
But, what about those people who live on the fringes? What happened to the people on the outskirts of ancient Rome or modern Libya? People who were not involved in large politics and lived simply in a rural setting — the feral folks? Frankly, I don’t know the answer to that question, but I have to imagine that they were insulated (to a degree) from the fallout of their countries larger political party(s).
Now, being physically distanced from large cities fueled by partisan politics is not why I escaped to a remote town in the mountains. However, year after year it turns out to be an unexpected perk. With the information access we all have today, I don’t have to wait for weeks or months to hear about the burning of a department store, or the riot that took several lives in some densely populated corner of our empire… I see it immediately in a 7 second clip and then have the privilege to walk out my back door and hear nothing — no cars, sirens, or other noise pollution. This level of insulation brings peace. The ability to disconnect from the circus and recognize what all empires are built on, terra forma, is a perspective I hope to never lose.
Now, I am not saying that if you are in a large city you can’t achieve this peace. In fact, I believe that even in a big city with it’s daily chaos that if you take a moment to find a patch of bare earth and reflect on that, you will come away with a renewed view of what everything around you was built on… and as history has proven, it will all go back to that one day… maybe not in our lifetime, but it will all inevitably return to dirt. The more we access that natural world, the more in tune we will be with what the earth has always been and will once again be. So, take your time, embrace nature, and ride the wave wherever you are at!
Daily Prompt: As you mull over your self-sustainability journey, what other unexpected benefits may you gain along the way? Is there anything specific you are seeking?:
Motivational Passage:
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”
-Seneca
Rewilding Action: If you are going to be in Nashville, TN in early February the Safari Club International is holding their annual convention. I will be attending to host a seminar on adult-onset hunting and to do a Turning Feral book signing. There are other great seminars being hosted by great industry leaders that focus on many elements of self sustainability, too. If you get the chance swing by and say hello!
