A Philosopher’s Adventure #10
Episode #10 - The Adventurer’s Life
Keep the History Alive
This episode opens with a history lesson from someone who lives on the mountain. We are shown many images of life on the mountain when farmers farmed the land. We get a description of the best time of the year to farm, including an explanation of how the mountain's water cycle works. There is an idea of “the mountain man” that I take as the movement of warm air. Another example of humans applying a character to something non-tangible. I think there are important factors in our lives that play such a large role; they are given the “honor,” shall we say, of being given character credit in the stories of our lives.
The Modern Adventurer
After the history lesson, Martijn goes for a hike toward two homes he watches from afar as he goes through his daily activities. I like this approach of slowly introducing yourself to the area where you live. In Martijn’s case, he can go into these semi-ruined buildings and examine the evidence left behind. After examining a particular cabin, Martijn explains the movement of the sun and how this part of the valley would feel if you lived there. He then makes quite the statement, saying, “It’s an adventurous life; people don’t want that anymore; people want to live in the cities.” It’s an interesting take that I think is undermined a little by the number of subscribers on his channel. I think people want something between the adventure he is living and getting away from the race in the city or suburban life. The problem for many is that the process of decoupling from the life we have is complicated, at least on the surface. Yes, I could take my things and move to the mountains, but I’m making a huge life decision on behalf of my family, my friends, and my living income. As much as it pains me to include income on that list, there are realities to life that stay with us longer than I’m sure most of us would like them to.
To be clear, I don’t disagree with what Martijn is saying. However, I think there is a shift in what people want from life and here is this channel showing us what one end of the life spectrum looks like. We feel the calm, and we see the progress. We are given a digital connection back to nature, and that connection fills a void that grows more noticeable by the day.
The lesson here is that we need to nudge ourselves back into growing our own food and learning the skills that make us self-sufficient. That doesn’t come from a “survive the apocalypse” point of view. I like the idea of being able to demystify how the basics of life work. We should become less efficient in our days so that we learn how taking time has its own kind of benefits. This is something Martijn has talked about. There are skills he doesn’t know, but he is willing to learn. That is the part of the Adventurer’s life we want. Adventure doesn’t have to leave your backyard, assuming you have one. I don’t, and that hurts a little inside. Somehow, we have built our homes in a way that we turn our homes into prisons, containment units.
People want parts of the Adventurer’s life, those that can fit into the life they have. I find myself warmed inside, watching Martijn find the life he wants. Someone got out and I am going to keep watching until I can find my own way; out into my version of the adventurer’s life.
OSHA would like to have a word with you Martijn
There is a long discussion about the crane that is to be built for the roof rebuild. This crane build is the first project that would scare me if I were going to build it. Martijn says this is the project he has been working on while he was away. There are drawings and theories about the parts of the crane and why they are built the way they are built. Clearly, he has taken the time to educate himself. If I think about what kind of project I could actually end up building, it would be a Catio of some sort. Not where we currently live, but maybe the next place we live. I need to use the projects within this story as a confidence builder for the projects in my own future. Failure is fine when backed by learning, progress, and persistent effort.
The outdoor kitchen grows a little more and this is what I love to see. Progress in the form of three logs and two shelves. We get to see what a difference it makes to the space and how much more livable and functional the outdoor kitchen is for Martijn. How many things around my house can I move to make my space more livable? There is a simple life that exists on the mountain. Using simple tools and simple items to improve your space. That is something we can apply to our lives that don’t exist on the mountain.
“Nature Takes and Gives, Mostly Gives”
A windstorm passes through the valley, and some of the solar panels fall off the wooden structures. Martijn is calm and accepting of the situation. He knows he needs to assess the damage, but working against the mountain and the wind to do the job right now is not the best course of action for him. It’s during this explanation that he says, “Nature takes and gives,” and all I can think about is what people do to nature, mostly take. It's a super depressing thought, but is that the appeal of a channel like this? The demonstration of reconnection and change in the relationship we have with nature?
Thanks for reading, see you next time.
CHR;)
