Natural vs Unnatural

[bow101]

I read a good article the other day. A good point came up about our society and how we are living in a   "unnatural pace of present life" It's funny when you walk into your local Wally World and see all the meat sitting there, raised in an Unnatural environment and force fed chemical foods, additives, growth hormones, anitbiotics etc...
Seriously whats all this modern world have to offer but chemicals, pollution, crime and the rest of the gambit.  Some of us seek out a very meager existence, well in the mind of most people caught up in this so called wonderfull capitalist planet we have created. Natures pace is constant and changes with the seasons in our part of the world anyway.  Spring goes in summer, summer into fall and fall into winter and it starts all over again, year after year we know what to expect.  The trees grow bigger and we grow older. Snow comes and goes, stroms come and go, day into night, night into day.
There is something to be said of living off mother nature, hunting the primitive way and eating real food the way its intended,  at "natures pace. "

I once heard from a big city dweller say, if there is not a 7-11 on the next block this place, (town) aint worth living in.    ..........truly sad...

[Slackbunny]

I do love me a 7-11 though. 

Sure it sounds great, but in reality, there is just too many of us now for that kind of life to be sustainable. There simply isn't enough space for all of us to live off the land by our own sweat. We need mass production of food to sustain us. If we lost all those massive farms overnight, even if we all took to the fields and the forests right away, a large number of us would starve.

And while it might be a great hobby, subsistence living isn't exactly the way I want to live. Its a romantic idea that a person can walk into the wilds with nothing but a handful of tools and supplies and live indefinitely off the land foraging farming and hunting. But the hard truth is that while many people did it and were successful, just as many died trying to do it, or suffered very low quality of life barely scraping out an existence. I like to sample that kind of living once in a while to test myself, but I always want to come back home to my internet, my refrigerator, and my xbox 

[bow101]

I don't rightfully mean that we exist in total primitive fashion, just more co-existing with nature, growing gardens without the crap and building homes with natural products.  And live off the grid.  Probably so, not all of us can live off the land, but many, many North Amercians have that option. Thats a big subject to get into here............

[Buckeye Guy]

A large number of us are starving already !

[Roy]

But yet we  have computers and get on the Internet to vent:) We order Trad stuff online and pay for it with a credit card or pay pal. What ever happened to good old smoke signals?

[JackCrafty]

Yep, I feel the same as you, Bow101, until I get sick.  I love me my antibiotics, allergy medicines, and Tylenol.   

Oh yeah, and the 7-11 is just down the street from me.  Sweet!   

[Buffalogobbler]

Bow,
This is a subject close to my heart. Ever since I was a teenager I have dreamed about living deep in the woods away from civilization and for me it will remain a dream, I have become too comfortable with so many of the modern conviences to let them go and I doubt my body could take that hard way of life, but I shure do admire those who reach for that dream.Right now I'm reading "At Home in The Woods" by Vena and Bradford Angier, In the 50's they left the big city to live the life of Thoreau in the Canadian wilderness.
I believe that we all can have our own Natural pace of life though, we each have to deal with the BS of modern life, even the off the gridders. I believe that one should just deal with the BS when we have to and then move on to the things in life that really matter, like hunting and fishing, making a new bow, growing a garden,foraging for shrooms and wild edibles, makin shine, or attending a rendezvous or traditional bow shoot, whatever your passionate about. Live life to the fullest!
Any time my feet leave the pavement, my heart rate slows down and life takes a natural pace, and that's all that matters.

Kevin

[JW_Halverson]

Like Kevin, I read the Angiers' book.  There was an incredible romance to it, but even a moment's thought reminds you that to make it in subsistence lifestyle means a lot of very intensive LABOR.  Plus there is the unknown factor of weather...you can chose your crops-the planting season-when and if you weed-etc, but the weather choses if they are productive or not. 

There is something much nicer about having dirt beneath your feet rather than concrete.  Better for your soles, better for your souls.

 “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion” ---Henry David Thoreau

Back in the 1980's a very serious college professor decided to take all the skills he had learned from a lifetime of studying anthropology and headed into the woods of British Columbia.  He knew all the edible plants and fungi of the area, he was capable of knapping stone, could build weapons and traps, and was more than capable of tanning hides and furs.  His goal was one year living off the land.  Even with all his experience and study from tribal peoples on EVERY continent, not just his locals...he wandered out of the woods after 8 months near death.  He ruined his health and suffered serious complications for the rest of his very badly shortened life.  Why?  Because no one makes it alone.  There is no culture of loners, never was a culture of loners, cannot be a culture of loners making it in the woods/prairies/swamps/whatever.  It takes a village, idiots and all.  Dang it anyway.

But that doesn't mean I won't go and spend plenty of overnites in the woods alone again this year!!!

[Buffalogobbler]

Have you guy's ever seen "Alone in the Wilderness" the story of Dick Proenneke?(Probably spelled his name wrong) It's been run on PBS for many years.When he was in his 50's Dick went to Alaska and built a cabin at Twin Lakes, he filmed the whole thing and lived there until he was well into his 80's it was an inspiring story about an amazing man, but like JW said "no man makes it alone", as self sufficent as Dick was he still had to buy grocieries and have a bush plane deliver them.
If you've ever seen this film, you'll never forget it, and if you hav'nt seen it, check it out if you can.

Kevin

[bow101]

I absolutley dont believe this I was just looking up Dick Proenneke.....   Great minds think alike.  I recorded it and have watched it 15 times.

[Buffalogobbler]

Bow,
I have seen that film many times also, I just love the way he made all of his buildings, furniture, tool handles,bowls and spoons, and the bear locks on the cabin door were amazing!
There is a second film about Dick also,it's not shown as much but it's just as interesting as the first film.

Kevin

[JW_Halverson]

I'm not surprised at all.  Great minds think alike...as do all fools fail in similar fashion!   

Thanks for the head's up on the film, he sounds like a very interesting feller.

[bowsandroses]

They got a book on his story to, bought it read it was pretty good story. Watched the film on PBS as well good stuff. another good story fictional of course is My Side of the Mountain don't remember who wrote it read it about 33 years ago in 5TH grade still remember the story quite well. Rates right there with the book Shane if any of you read it.

[sleek]

Ive read SHANE, seen the movie, and love it. Also seen the pbs video and fell in love with the romance of it all, but I also love my wife, who looks at me with a very serious face any time I mention Alaska, and says " Bye ".

[Pappy]

I practice primitive skills for a pass time that I enjoy very much,it gets me away if only for a few day from all the hustle and head acks of work,also in the back of my mind I know I could use it if I was ever forced to,but as far as going at it full time,not going to happen unless I have to. Nice to think about how peaceful and prefect it would be,but that's a tough life and most that I know that dream about it couldn't handle it I feel sure. The primitive and native folks had a very tough life,they were use to it, it's all they had but very tough,folks tend to dream and forget that part. I like my electricity/Truck/running water/micro wave/TV and warm house. Cool to get away from it from time to time but don't want to give it up for good unless I have to.
     Pappy