It's been a long while since I last posted to this blog. The reason is quite simple, fear and doubt crept into my soul which in turn, made me go into hiding. The how and the why of it is amorphous; the harder I searched for the reason, the deeper the question became.
One major life changing event that could have triggered this feeling was easy to target; I retired from work after 42 years of service; however, as I ponder this as the progenitor of that original question, it comes up short of being the answer.
Eventually, the cause of this angst; which I can only describe as an invasive feeling of helplessness and uselessness, came into focus.
Shortly after my retirement, a change took place south of the Canadian border. This brought massive disruption to the way we look at our world and people who surround us. This event immediately polarized people and the resulting fallout caused huge waves of anger, fear, domination and helplessness. This wave has had consequential effects throughout North America.
Environmental concerns were immediately dismissed along with the idea of treating others as you would have others treat you.
Those who embraced this change were haled as patriots, convicted felons were pardoned. The line between what is just and what is wrong was instantly blurred. Self indulgence and ego has become the only goal. Lies and corruption have replaced truth and decency.
The rights and freedoms of all those who opposed this change were placed under extreme scrutiny. Individualism took a backseat to servitude. All who express concern with this change are now considered anti patriotic.
The wilderness will be diminished and subdued. Life will be nothing more than servitude to those that push their reality as the only truth. Alternate reality will become the norm. Artificial Intelligence will overtake our lives and will make it hard to know what is real and what is not.
I am of an age now where the number of years ahead are far fewer than those I have left behind. I worry for the young people of society. I fear that these young people will never know the freedom that older adults love and cherish. A freedom which came at a high cost for earlier generations of young people.
Thinking like this does indeed denude ones sense of wonder and awe; it will, if given enough daylight, draw a person into an abyss of negativity. A place to which I have no desire to venture.
Change is the one constant in life. Positive and negative are terms which will be applied to any particular change dependant upon the individual observing and living through the transition. One persons positive will indeed be another's negative.
Individuals will embrace any particular change in life, or they will struggle to understand the simple but complicated question "why?'
The wilderness has always been my home and teacher. She has led me onwards, providing me with the inspiration to discover that which is over the next ridge or around the next bend in the river. Only here, in the infinite wonder of the woods, am I able to identify and quantify life's ever changing landscape.
Pertaining to feeling useless and helpless, that was silly and a complete waste of precious time.
I hope that you will not become ensnared by the vileness and hate with is so pervasive in 2025.
To dissipate these ugly and invasive feelings, Take a long quiet walk through the woods or paddle a quiet lake or river, the wilderness will help dissipate these life impeding thoughts. It always works for me. I hope the same for you.
Wander and Wonder.
R.G.
