This is the best of the forums. I regularly lurk/post in most, and the caliber of participation and organization here is #1, bar none.
Richard, your cultural/anthropological/animal insight is dazzling. I feel like I'm in college again, in a very good way. I share some of your reservations and opinions about our cultural history and direction. As you have correctly observed, participation in our Great Experiment is not voluntary; there are precious few true alternatives to even sample other ways in a realistic fashion. We think of ourselves as free people, and we are, within rigid limitations established by others. For instance, I could not decide to just go live off the land legally anywhere in this country. Not bashing, just musing.
It could be argued that even the places that more recently would have allowed following an old paradigm have been irrevocally "ruined" to this way of living. Two examples would be the Australian outback and the African Savannah. "Mutant Message Down Under" by Marlo Morgan is about a middle-aged white woman (Morgan) who is invited by an Aboriginal tribe to travel with them for a period of months, specifically to record their way of living and message to the world. The message, essentially, is that they have decided the world is too sick for them to continue living. They are voluntarily no longer reproducing.
It is not cast as a slam on modernized culture, as even the tribe does not tell it that way. Rather, it is a clear window to another way of living that is not what anyone would expect. It is at once beautiful, peaceful, and disturbing. These people are centered and serene and Truly understand their place in the world. I sure wish I did.
We are left with limited choices on how to stay connected with our world. People are inventive and have discovered many ways to "plug in". Others have lost this connection entirely. Dmason says the first golden rule of audio is "you don't know what you're missing". I propose to expand this to a much larger scope and placement in the top ten of life's rules. It represents an attitude of search and discovery that is ultimately much larger than audio. This is a cornerstone of anyone's worldview wanting to maintain child's eyes throughout life.
I've never thought of it before, but the sense of wonder I feel at home with my rig is not entirely different from that I get watching a meteor shower high on a mountain. Not the same either, but related.
Within the limitations of our own lives and the choices others have made and make daily for us, we find our own way. It is up to us whether we seek the spiritual world of Richard's description and how. To me, ultimate audio is full of magic and my child's eyes (and ears) keep pushing me. However, nothing replaces those times with all my tools for living on my back and a trail ahead. Five days is a good number, as I can still carry beer. It's also long enough to forget who you are in "real" life and feel the wonder of the world.
Thanks for opening the door, Richard.
