I lived in a canvas wall tent for three years. It was a wonderful time in my life. The tent itself was just a large piece of fabric, but to me, it was much more. It was my home. It’s where I experienced things that I will never forget. It’s where I regrouped and found my bearings. It’s where I found peace and solitude during troubled times. It’s where I learned how simple life could be. Where I found the rhythms of Mother Earth and heard most clearly from God.
And now, having learned a great deal from it all, it is time
to return to my fellow humans and live a more “normal” life among them.
I’m bringing the lessons of tent living with me. The knowledge
that we have all been given everything we need to live a happy life, if only we
can appreciate those blessings. The understanding that my life is not to be
spent living in the woods by myself but rather among the wonderful people that
I already know, and those that I have still to meet. The people that I love, and
will love, and who love me.
So I’m paddling out of my calm and peaceful cove, and
reentering the mainstream of human society, with all of its sharp bends and turbulent
eddies. The rough waters of human society used to trouble me a great deal, but
now I’m eager to embrace the rapids and paddle alongside the rest of humanity.
I know what it’s like to live a simple life. It’s
wonderful, and the peace and security of that lifestyle is always there, for
each of us, if ever we wish to live it. It’s with that experience and knowledge
that I now return to mainstream society. We are all a bit crazy, and all so beautiful,
and by far the most interesting creatures on the planet. So farewell, my canvas
tent, and I thank you. I’m gonna go hang out with my fellow humans now.
