A Philosopher’s Adventure #26

Episode #26 - What We Collect Along the Way

Even Hermits Have Stuff

Something that was a meme of my youth was the concept of collecting stuff as you got older. I don’t remember it being a problem for people back then. This was before the days when anything you needed to buy could be found online. Those were the days of going to the mall and guessing if a particular store had an item you wanted. This is a trap of life that I was not prepared for, and while I don’t have a lot of things, the process of going through the room that acts as a storage space feels like a vertical mountain that needs to be climbed.

I look at the story of Martijn and think about how the lessons here would be great for young people. Give people the time to incorporate good life lessons into their stories so they can be informed when they make a commitment. “Stuff” is one of those lessons because it feels like Martijn lives a life that is free of the stuff that turns into clutter. To my surprise, we start the episode with Martijn dealing with the spaces he never films because it’s “chaos.” This isn’t a fair assessment as this stuff is the tools and project materials that allow him to do all that he does on the mountain. He doesn’t have so much that he can’t spend a day organizing everything onto shelves. His stuff is never unmanageable. It’s nice to know that even a hermit living a simple life faces this human problem.

The lesson that will unfold over the course of the summer is that taking the time to prepare will make a difference when working on anything else in the future. When we get to the daily tasks of the small cabin rebuild, the tools scattered in the larger cabin now all have a home with easy access. A little bit of time given to the organization today will make all the days in the future easier. Stuff is a modern human problem that seems innocuous but is a real problem for many people. No one told us how to keep up with the Joneses without getting buried in our things. I’m not saying we learn how to do that here. What we see here is the benefit of not getting involved with the Joneses to begin with.

See Your Dreams

When Martijn first sees the inside of the large cabin, we get a glimpse into his mind. He describes what he wants to do with the space, and this does a couple of things. The audience is prepped for the future progression of the story. For me, it is a lovely foreshadowing of where we are going and tells me what Martijn values in the space where he plans to spend time. The other thing this description does is show us the power of intent and vision. As of this writing, the large cabin has not been worked on, but we know we are on our way. Persistent effort and gathering skills will get us to this vision as Martijn has described.

When I think about this in my personal life. I have books I want to write and stories to tell. I think about seeing one of my books in the bookstore for the first time, or maybe even in the wild, like at an airport. This vision pushes me to write every day. There are skills I need to build on to achieve this vision. Be persistent in your own way and in your own time.

The Moments

The moments I enjoyed in the episode start with a quick trip to the garden to add some roughage to his soup. The efforts of the past supply such a simple moment in the present. These are big words, but I feel like I would eat more greens if I were growing them myself. I’m willing to put the theory to the test.

Martijn discusses the comment section and how a few commenters feel about the roof in the outdoor kitchen. I’m annoyed that people think they know better than the builder. These are the comments that missed the plot. Thankfully, Martijn explains all the reasons why he likes the roof as it is. The view, the sounds, and the overall experience of living outdoors stay open when the kitchen is built as it is. Martijn concedes there are times when the weather is bad, and things get wet, but that is part of living the way he does. This is the plot. Life happens, and things get wet. They will dry. The monologue starts at the 30-minute mark.

This episode starts with one of the property's icons: the picnic table construction. The puzzle process looks fascinating and rewarding. There is no defined solution, just vibes, mortar, and a level. Martijn explains what he is learning and how he approaches problems along the way. It is a wonderful demonstration of the things we can learn through a process when we give it a try. Take the time to remove the mystery of the process, and suddenly, you are knee-deep in the learning and discovery process.

Outro – The Philosopher Speaks

Class, gather round; we are about to receive the wisdom of the Philosopher. Martijn puts a cap on the week with a summary. He explained that it was a week of cleaning and organizing. He calls it important to do these sorts of things before starting a long-term project. There is a flow to long-term projects when we must take time to look backward and forward. Check-in with yourself as you go along. Reset when needed and get the rest you need to stay focused when you need to be focused. I like to think of this as being considerate of yourself. This is all about living a slower life, and that means the engine needs to be slowed and preparations made so that when the accelerator is pressed, there is a smooth road to travel.

Thanks for reading, see you next time.

CHR;)