On Being in Debt

The economic systems of today rely upon credit. I'm no economist, but it's obvious that if all of us had to pay as we go, then our resulting economic systems would be unrecognizable compared to today. Expensive consumer goods, like cars and houses, would have to be purchased with cash. Business growth would slow to a crawl without outside financing. And governments would have no choice but to balance their budgets. It is precisely the billions of contracts and agreements between debtors and creditors that make our economic systems possible.

Debt is a powerful, powerful tool. With it, we can build cities and skyscrapers and businesses, on credit, and employ millions of people that produce goods and services to be sold to millions of other people, on credit. It's at the heart of our most predominant social structures. Can you imagine a society without debt? It would certainly not be anything like what we see today.

Interestingly, debt is also one of the very few areas in which we all agree, as a society, that one party may take the property of another. (I have found only two such social arrangement: debt and taxes.) In exchange for the enormous social benefits realized through debt, we have all agreed that creditors may rightfully take the property of debtors in case of delinquency, for such taking is for the greater good. (It is this "taking for the greater good" idea that is also at the heart of taxes.)

So debt is good for us all, right? With debt, we live a better life and are more able to raise a family and carry on as a species, right? But if debt is such a good idea, why don't we find it in Nature (for I've looked closely, and it's not to be found)? In Nature there is "giving" and "reciprocity" and perhaps "gratitude", which are sort of "debt-like", but I've not found "borrowing" and "owing" and "interest" and "collecting". And it should be there in Nature, shouldn't it? After all, debt is about acquiring "stuff", and all living creators require "stuff", right? Wouldn't the bird enjoy a nicer home? The squirrel, more nuts through Winter? Or is there a downside to debt that we overlook? A downside so enormous that it disrupts the very fabric of Nature and therefore cannot be part of Nature's design?

To find the downside, we need only look as far as the human spirit. Because while debt feeds the body, it also starves the spirit. By acquiring all the new things that we desire, we leave less room to appreciate what we already have. By having all of our physical needs met so easily, we leave less room to help each other in times of trouble. By being dependent upon our economy for our very sustenance, we lose our faith that Nature would also provide, if we gave her the chance. We become slaves to the social systems that we have created, and we feel vulnerable and helpless.

Maybe that's why debt is not part of Nature's design. Better to live simply and have faith that all the things needed by the body will be provided. So the bird builds her simple nest each year, and it is enough. And the squirrel gathers his nuts in Autumn, and it is enough. They enter into no contracts, and they are free. And they know that Nature is a good and fair partner. One that never charges interest.

Land Search Update

Have you ever wished for something, got your wish, then realized that what you had in the first place was actually better? Yeah, me too. I've done a lot of that throughout my life. Always wanting something better. More, more, more! You'd think I would have learned by now, but apparently the lessons are not over.

Last October, I started searching for a new place to live. It was an exciting and interesting process that took me in a lot of different directions. I met some new people and learned a lot along the way. I especially learned a lot about myself thanks to a few dear friends that helped guide me along, keeping me on track.

My search led me to a 70+ acre parcel of raw land, surrounded by hundreds of acres of more raw land. Exactly what I had wanted, right? Or was it. Wait a minute, why did I want to move again? What was I looking for exactly? This place was beautiful and wild and essentially untouched, but also very remote, and I would be very isolated. I would have very few visitors. I would be snowed in deep in the Winter. And I would have to "up my game" significantly. Four-wheel drive. A gun in case of bear. Water from the stream. And although the idea of living there was a little exciting, I mainly felt apprehension.

I'm going to visit that spot one more time, and wander more, and try to get a better feel for it. I won't make a final decision until I do that, but I sure did like getting back home to "civilization" after visiting that spot, and I'm having serious second thoughts on the whole matter.

Farewell Winter

It's the first week of March and there's still plenty of snow at my place. The cold, white hand of Winter still holds on. It was an impressive season. There were very few strong winds at my place, thankfully, but plenty of cold days, and lots of snow. My rain fly took a lot of punishment and will have to finally be replaced before next Winter. She's served me well and will get me through Autumn, but she will not survive another Winter, especially another Winter like this one.

I underestimated the amount of firewood I would need to get me through this Winter...twice. And for the third time I am down to only a few days supply, but this time I won't resupply. Part of me wants one, last cold night before Spring. I want to feel it all and remember it well. This has been a strong, wonderful Winter. One to be respected. And so I bid you farewell, Winter! Until next year.

A Spiritual Place

Up until now, I've viewed tent living as a physical endeavour. I've focused on the practical side of physical life. Keeping my body safe and comfortable. Fashioning my systems to be simple and functional in order to meet the needs of my body. Along the way, I've had hints that my home is a spiritual place, too. But only quiet, subtle hints. Or maybe they were indeed loud shouts instead of quiet whispers, and I just wasn't listening very well.

Now, as I enter my third year of living this way, I have begun to see this as more of a spiritual journey than a physical one. Remarkably, the spiritual changes that have begun to happen lately are far more interesting, and far more intense, than heating with wood and carrying water and lighting with oil lamps. I have achieved some sort of alignment in the physical world, which has now left me free to explore the spiritual side of my life, which I must admit has been long neglected.

It's clear to me that living in a tent pleases God. In fact, I don't believe he thinks it's unusual at all. After all, the rest of his creation lives simply, too. And they, by his design. So if I am to create a home, should I not look to his creation for clues in the matter?

I've looked for those clues, and apparently I have done something right in living this way. My home is a humble place. I have no debt. I do not claim that I "own" the land on which it sits. I am safe and live a healthy life. Yes, I am a bit cold in Winter, and a bit warm in Summer, but my home serves me, and not the other way around. And so it is with all the other homes built by Life on this planet. (Well, with the exception of many of the homes built by Man.) All of God's creatures build homes in accordance with their nature, from nests to burrows, from ant hills to bee hives. And all share many of the same attributes. Simplicity. Economy. Aesthetics. So I'm very pleased with my home.

In resolving my physical problems, I think I've made room for the spiritual. I've never been religious. In fact, I've been atheist. But now I pray, and I know my prayers are heard, and answered. I can hear now, and I can see. I've never felt such grace, and I am overwhelmed by it all.

Recipe for Fried Cabbage and Lobster

Fried Cabbage and Lobster

 This recipe make enough for two, but I ate it all myself in one sitting!

1. Heat about three tablespoons of coconut oil in a large skillet over low heat.
2. Thinly slice one small head of cabbage. Put in pan and slowly fry until tender, stirring regularly.
3. Once tender, turn heat up to medium-high and fry cabbage until slightly brown, stirring constantly.
4. Stir in liberal amounts of garlic powder, curry, Worcestershire, and Asian fish powder.
5. Move cabbage to the perimeter of the pan, freeing up the center.
6. With heat still on medium-high, add four tablespoons of coconut oil to center of pan.
7. Add 8 oz of lobster chunks (imitation works well) to center of pan and quickly fry for just a minute or two, stirring constantly.
8. Remove from heat. Add Asian peanut sauce to lobster and stir.

Enjoy!

Cold Winter Winds

January is the most challenging Winter month in Virginia. Overnight temperatures can dip down into single-digits, and Winter storms bring in steady winds. That's a rough combination for a tent, where air infiltration is a big problem. Even though I've gone to great lengths to seal the gaps in my canvas, the material itself is so porous that the wind comes right through, causing my candles to flicker as they dance in the cold air. On nights like that I burn a hot stove, so wood consumption doubles and burn time is cut in half. And I have to wake up every few hours to stoke the fire.

As I snooze through such nights, I let the temperature on my face act as an alarm clock, the rest of me being cozy and warm beneath my blankets. I've found that when my face gets cold enough, say at around 30 degrees or so, I usually wake up. And just in time to add fuel to the stove, there being a nice, hot bed of coals still glowing. Of course, there have been times when I've slept through and have woken up to temperatures in the teens, and dying coals that needed kindling and care. I always knew when that had happened as soon as I awoke, and frowned and grumbled to myself for having slept through, knowing that I would be up a bit longer tending to the stove.

January's cold has also worked to acclimate my body. Forty degrees is now quite comfortable, so some evenings I'll heat with just propane, satisfied to wake up to a 30 degree morning.

I'm enjoying Winter now, having passed through the December doldrums. February is just weeks away, then Spring, then the heat of Summer when I'll wish for January.

Fire Safety

From a fire safety point-of-view, my home is a small, flammable space with open flames everywhere. The tent itself is only 12' x 14', and in it I have a double-bed, a kitchen area, a bathing area, a toilet, two chairs, some small shelves and tables, and at this time of year, a wood stove. It's packed pretty tight, and even though the canvas has been treated for fire resistance, I'm still surround by a lot of flammable material.

I light with oil lamps and candles, cook with propane, and heat with propane and wood, so there are always open flames about. And it being a small, crowded space, the likelihood for accidents increases. One false move, and an oil lamp falls to the floor or the propane heater gets knocked over. Or worse, a failure of the tent frame, a fallen limb, or an accidental bump could dislodge the stove pipe from the wood stove leading to thick smoke and open flames within the tent.

So here are my fire safety tips for tent living:

1. Don't live in a tent! It's dangerous!

Okay, if you ignore that rule (like I do), then at least:

1. Install a carbon monoxide detector. This is a must! Carbon monoxide accumulates quickly in a small space like a tent. My CO detector goes off routinely, so it has probably already saved my life.
2. Install a smoke detector. This is more for peace-of-mind, for example, when I leave my wood stove burning through the night. But my smoke detector has also alerted me to sooty wicks and slight obstructions in the stove pipe.
3. Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Fortunately, I haven't had to use mine yet, but I've had some pretty close calls when I've almost pulled it out.
4. Prevention. Arrange your space so as to minimize accidents. For example, place oil lamps on stable surfaces out of the main traffic flow, and avoid setups where you have to reach over an open flame to retrieve objects.
5. Have a fire plan. This is perhaps the most important. Imagine everything that could go wrong, and plan your response ahead of time. For example, what would you do if a tree limb ripped off the stove pipe and knocked over the wood stove? Or an oil lamp fell to the floor and broke? Or you smelled propane? Or your hair or clothes caught fire? And so on.

Please think about these things, be safe, and enjoy the thrill of tent living!