A Philosopher’s Adventure #5

Episode #5 - What Could Have Been

This is a shorter episode. Martijn tells us the story of how he came to live in this valley. The thought process is thorough, and the breadth of his search is wide. Listening to the tale is fascinating in a way and I keep thinking that I’m glad he picked the location he did. There is an intimacy that the valley offers I did not feel in other locations. This view of the lake, for instance, is incredible, but it feels like it doesn’t fit into the story being told. The visibility of the towns in the valley is the main culprit.

Beyond the vibes, Martijn tells us there are logistical and financial hurdles that make this lake view the wrong place for him. Martijn expresses that he thought the dream was over when the lake property didn’t work out which makes me sad in a way. Someone with the life view of Martijn is usually optimistic. For Martijn to feel like it is over, how easy is it for everyone else to think the same thing and stop there? Thankfully, Martijn started to look in other regions of Europe and finds the West Italian Alps offered what he was looking for.  This makes me sad because humanity and the individuals within have a hard enough time finding their place, and somehow, we have evolved to have this setting where we can feel like the dream can be over. How can we support our own dreams and the dreams of others? How do we combat this evolutionary taproot and give people so much hope that they feel like dreams are achievable, even on a partial scale?

This is a privileged way of thinking about dreams. However, these are the kind of dreams that get to the core of being human. Many people have forgotten the humanity of being human. Talking about dreams and how to follow them are some of the steps we must take as a species to ensure our story has a happy ending.

The Philosopher Speaks

“it’s about the journey of creating a place yourself, about learning all the crafts bc I’m not a builder. I have a few skills, but not much. I just have to find everything out but that’s the exciting part.” - Martijn

This is the quote that is the basis for this series. I started this as a tool to inspire myself and think about how to approach writing and creativity in small, persistent chunks. I am creating a structure in my mind and a schedule in my life that allows me to be creative. I don’t know all the tools and tricks for good writing, but writing more and writing consistently will improve my skills. Sharing my stories will ease my nerves when talking to people about my own journey. The exciting part of me is the self-discovery, the act of creating, and the idea of a mindful legacy. I hope you find something in this shared journey.

Eventually, we get to the cost breakdown of what Martijn paid for the property. This feels weird to me. There are parts of the lives of content creators I don’t want to know. I don’t need to know how they make the money that allows them to live their lives. In this case, I understand that anyone who is thinking about getting into this life would want to know how much it costs. The information is utilitarian but it’s also specific to Martijn’s journey. The driver for my “discomfort” with this information is that I am here for the calmness and the philosophy. I’m here to watch a place go from a rotten tarp covering a hole-filled roof and turn into the vision Martijn has for his place in the world.

Outro

“The goal is to spend time here, and working here and being here, enjoy the mountain life. It’s about teaching yourself and developing yourself about all these building skills and creating a living in the mountains. That’s what I want.” - Martijn

I encourage you to watch the last minute of the video. The quote above is captured there. The words read well on screen, but they are moving when you hear them come from Martijn. This is a purpose, and this is direction. I hope you and I can find that in our own journey. I hope to take what I can from Martijn’s journey and apply it to my own.

This journey is Hope. In a world that often feels like hope is being snuffed out by those disinterested in the rest of humanity, we have found hope in the Italian Alps, close to the border with France in the form of a potentially reluctant philosopher and their quest for knowledge in the mountains.

Thanks for reading, see you next time.

CHR;)