While sitting in my Wal-Mart brand tent, struggling with the cold, I got to thinking about society. On average, I probably spend a little more time than most trying to break the mold. I take a weird sort of pride in living my life differently. But for all the bad things our society contributes today, and for all the standards and mindless traditions in society I fight against, there are a lot of good things being offered to us also.
During my trip to Yosemite, my idea of what these good and bad things are became a little bit clearer. I can’t shun everything society does because that would close me off to a lot of wonderful opportunities and experiences. Life is balancing act, as they say.
Here is a short list of the GOOD things I think American society offers us.
THE GOOD
- Fresh, Readily Available Food & Refrigerators- Grocery stores are awesome. At any time you can hop down to the market and get fresh, healthy food. Then you can bring it home and store it in your fridge for weeks at a time. In the wild, you have to catch or find your food. This can be a lot of fun, if you succeed. If not, it’s a long and hungry night.
- Beds & Blankets – A warm bed and blanket are so much more comfortable than the ground. Nature doesn’t have too many Sealy PosturePedics laying around.
- Running & Hot Water – While in the wilderness, safe and purified water is a rare commodity. You only have so much water to drink, cook with, and to wash your dishes with. There’s usually not enough left to wash your hands with. Also, there are no hot showers in nature – unless you happen upon a hot spring. Don’t underestimate the power of a steaming hot shower. Every single one is like a tiny, joyous miracle.
- Bug Repellent - I was not once attacked by a mosquito in Los Angeles. I could go forth into the early evening with no worries of bugs. This is not the case in the wilderness. I therefore am very grateful for bug repellent. I don’t know what ‘deet’ is exactly, but it saves my life every time. Mosquitoes love me otherwise.
- Toilets - Squatting can be fun, and I think we’d all, as a society, have better developed glutes if we had no toilets. But, I can’t deny the greatness of the throne. It’s much easier and there’s no worry of some bug finding his way…in. Also, you can just flush your TP in a toilet. In the wild, you bag your TP and carry it out.
- Clothing & Gear – Society is responsible for making the clothes I’m wearing. Society is also responsible for making the backpack, tent, sleeping bag, etc. that I took with me into the wild. I don’t have the skill-set to make my own clothing and equipment. There’s no way around it. I need society to make these things for me, and it’s wonderfully efficient at doing so.
- The Internet – The Internet is good and bad. There is so much helpful information out there if you know how to look for it. It can be used in the wilderness to look up survival techniques or other general camping information. But, it’s easy to get distracted. I am going to rely heavily on it for my business so I have to include it here.
- Music
While you’re in the wild, you don’t often hear any man-made music but your own. I found myself singing quite often. But even my own harmonious voice gets tiring after awhile. I can’t image how amazing it would have been for ancient generations to come out of the woods or desert after a long journey, and hear music being played in the city. - Transportation
Carrying everything I needed for a week of survival was very difficult. Walking even 4 miles with a 40 lb. pack, granted it was uphill, was exhausting. Cars, buses, airplanes, etc. are truly luxurious things. I wish there were greater efforts to make them more fuel efficient so that I could sing their graces even more. But, traveling the world has never been easier than it is today. - Technology
Aside from the internet, other modern technologies are making my life easier. There is machine that makes contact lenses that fit comfortably on my eyeball and allow me to see the world perfectly. That’s pretty incredible if you think about it.
What do you love about society? Share your thoughts friend.
