Hello everyone. I’ve been trying to put together this blog for some time now. I’ve been struggling to find the words that describe best exactly what I’m doing. I don’t want to come across as hyper-critical and negative. It’s quite the opposite. I believe in the power of positivity and its ability to shape and form the world around you. But, I also know that we are approaching a convergence of crises that will test our ability to survive and adapt. At the heart of these crises is the very makeup of what it means to be human. The philosophies and spiritualities that guide us are being tested. Things like food, water, government, economy, money, energy, etc., can either be thrown out the door or need to be completely rethought. It’s painfully obvious we are doing enormous damage to our environment, our mother Earth. And in order to right the ship, we need to develop a foundation by which all things can be tested; some central tenet from which all things can be derived. I don’t see this coming from any current religion, but possibly from delving deeper into history to a time when humans roamed the land without the chains of civilization. Somehow, someway, it seems that we have split from the oneness that is everything. We seem to abide by some dualistic nature where we are separate from everything else. It seems that indigenous folk across the world and throughout history had a deeper understanding of our connection to all things. I hope to find this connection, feel it intimately in everything I do, reintegrate myself into the flow of the universe, and embrace the source of all things. I don’t want to be either/or, this or that, me and you, man and animal, body and spirit. I want to be all things. But how do I do this?
I’m reminded of a Flying Mystics album. Begin within. Your body is your temple. I’ve been on this tip for some time now. Slowly but surely, I’ve been eating healthy, organic, unprocessed food, exercising regularly, breathing fresh air, soaking in the sun, communing with nature, love, etc. And the benefits are starting to show. I find myself taking life’s challenges in stride rather than some mysterious force trying to hold me back. I feel more energetic. I feel more at peace. I relate with people better. But as with all things, I can do better. I plan on taking up Yoga, a practice that has intrigued me for some time now. The idea of aligning one’s self with one’s body through breath, stretching and meditation is very appealing to me. But that’s just the beginning. What do I do next?
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is to completely remove myself from the system that perpetuates the crises that plague our society. I’m not sure how possible this is. I’m sitting in a public library, typing on a computer that I’m sure utilizes some rare earth metals obtained from a place where the sale of such rare earth metal funds a war that negatively affects millions. I’ve read about the destruction of our forests and the harm done to entire ecosystems. It seems we live in a human first world when we should live in an Earth first world which would benefit us all. The crazy thing is I like the things civilization has brought to us. I like my computer and my smartphone. I love music in all its forms from the ambient electronic to ancient world music to pure rock & roll and booty shaking dance music. I like movies. I like having fingernail clippers and coffee and sushi and cool camping gear and mesh bathing suits that dry quickly and all the things that civilization has to offer. Can we have our cake and eat it too? Can all these things be possible in a sustainable world? I like to think so. But the question becomes, have we died before the ship has even sunk? Have we gone too far down the rabbit hole that collapse is inevitable? I don’t know. I have far too many questions and nowhere near enough answers. And as with most problems, the path appears to lie in simplification. Simplify everything to its core identity. Find this central tenet. Feel it, learn it, love it. Then abide by it and build from it. Spread the word and evolve. This seems like a good place to start.
I wrote the following one night, far up in the San Juan National Forest with nothing but the stars and the trees around me, staring into the depths of the night:
I want to be able to go into the woods, any woods, any season, and survive. Shelter, water, food. There’s a certain sense of security in it that appeals to me. It makes facing the main portion of life’s insecurities seem all that much easier. I want to understand and build communities. I want to help mold a new spirituality that encompasses all our beliefs. That’s intertwined with us, the earth, the universe and all that is. I want to co-create a better world. And so off into the unknown I go and everyone is invited on this ride. Join me.
And where will I go? I’ve spent the past month or so in Durango, Colorado. I worked on a farm, camped, and slowly let my past life slip away. I’m then headed to Hawaii for several months to intern on two different farms. I want to see firsthand the production of food, study permaculture and sustainability, and help in the production one of the vital resources we seemingly take for granted on a daily basis. Then I’m off to see different parts of the world, starting in Europe and moving to Asia. I want to work with sacred plant medicines. I plan on heading to Peru to work with the vine of the souls, ayahuasca. We have much to learn from our plant friends. And through all this, I plan on reading, writing, learning, interacting and maybe just maybe, the questions will become more concise, the answers more forthcoming, and I can become part of the healing of our world.
First Books to Read:
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
The Ascent of Humanity by Charles Eisenstein
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Please feel free to post links, articles, books, videos, etc. that I need to consume. Over the next few days to weeks, I’ll update this site with pictures, video, and commentary of my journey thus far. If anyone ever has any free time, look me up and see where I’m at. From Europe to Asia to Peru and beyond, everyone is welcome on this journey. I hope to see you sooner rather than later!
Much love,
-Patrick aka Tater