A Philosopher’s Adventure #18
Episode #18 - What Are We Supposed To Be
Sneak Up on Your Destiny
The theme I took from this episode is the idea of sneaking up on the skills of life. Three things stood out. The first was the assessment of the water flows around the two cottages. The second was the addition of plumbing hardware to the system dug out in the previous episode. The final was the installation of a unique piece of equipment.
Martijn takes us into the basements of both cabins and shows us where the moisture is getting through the walls. This skill for Martijn involves using heavy rainfall to identify problems that need solutions. A solution that includes the involvement of stonemasons and an explanation about how the walls should have been built with proper drainage. This is important for both Martijn and the audience because we understand the problem. If we understand the problem, the solution is a matter of taking the correct steps. Demystifying the problem makes the solutions more approachable. For Martijn, he gets to dig a trench around his home. We get to consider the problems in our lives that can use some “demystification”.
Sticking with the plumbing theme, we move from pipes that need to be laid in the ground to pipes that are already in the ground that need hardware. The trench pipes from the last episode get their hardware, and my takeaway is the comfort Martijn must have working with the hardware that has played a role in the last several episodes. The plumbing system is well thought out. We see Martijn walk from connection to connection, checking for leaks and testing as he goes along. The accumulation of skills and increased comfort with the materials culminates in a plumbing system that will get him through the rest of the year. His temporary home and kitchen can be built, which will open up the first cabin so the roof can be replaced. I don’t know if Martijn had plumbing experience before he came to the mountain, but the slow growth of skills is showing their rewards.
Finally, we get a gift and a side quest. A viewer sent in a weather station, which Martijn installed on the property. This weather station will play an important role throughout the story. There are no new skills acquired with the installation of the weather station, but this is the kind of thing I see, and feel that the accumulation of skills in other areas of life makes the installation of something with similar requirements easier.
Sneaking up on your skills requires a willingness to make skill gathering a priority. As I’ve said in previous essays, I am guilty of this. I never made it a priority as I aged, and now I feel like I am playing catchup. I can let that stop me for the rest of my life, or I can take the time to find skills I can learn that will be repeatable and more useful as I get older.
Always in the Background
We’ve been in the spring season for a little bit now, and there is something in the background I have enjoyed greatly: the songbirds. I watch these episodes and take notes on weekend mornings with the windows open. I hear the birds from Italy and Southern California singing their songs. I find it relaxing and peaceful to listen to as the episodes play.
Did You Fall for the Clickbait?
Martijn talks about the wolf lore of this area early in the story. It was fun in this episode as there was a music and tone change when we saw a dark wolf-looking creature on the property while Martijn was inside. Turns out it was a neighbor’s dog. It strikes me now that Martijn eludes to the title of the video, but he is still technically filming the episode. So, he must have known the title he was going to use as the neighbor’s dog was on the property. Indicative of nothing, more just an interesting timeline. Also, I don’t think anyone neek
A Shoe Shower
We saw the boot-care routine for the first time. It appears from time to time. I could have put this in the skills section of this essay, but I wanted to give it its own stage. The idea is that we can take care of the quality products we own. There are plenty of articles and stories about the effect of fast fashion on the planet and consumer habits of people. What makes it worse is the difficulty for low-income individuals who cannot afford the upfront cost of high-quality goods that can be repaired. Throw in companies that fight the efforts of regular people who want to repair their electronics.
It's just a moment in this episode, but this moment brings to focus the forces in the world that make it more difficult to be the best version of ourselves. I hope that humanity can find a way out of this situation. We watch Martijn live a mostly uncoupled life from the forces that chance profits. We long for something similar; otherwise, we wouldn’t watch in the numbers that we do. Can we learn how to take control of our own lives in a way that gets us closer to what we want? I hope so.
Find a Spot in the RV; It’s Road Trip Time!
With a music change, we are on the road. Martijn takes the wheel, and we are off to find some inspiration. The change in music is perfect. It feels like road trip music, and the vibe we are used to at the homestead is completely different in the RV. I love that Martijn says he needs a break. He uses the time to find inspiration in the Swiss Alps. Being the master of your own time must be amazing and is honestly one of the greatest appeals of this story.
Martijn explains that when he goes on these trips, he will look up directions and turn off freeways and toll roads. The trip takes longer, but he gets to see more. This isn’t always a viable strategy. As a driver in the United States, taking a long way can turn into a loooooooong way. However, the sentiment is worth remembering when you can take the long way and see what you can see. Maybe it isn’t the car, and maybe it is taking a long way out of the park to get to the car. This is another example of living inefficiently and seeing where life takes you.
Thanks for reading, see you next time.
CHR;)
