The other day I finally looked systematically into the links followed by readers who follow this blog, in order to find new websites to read. It's always been easy to be lazy about this sort of thing, in part because the number of websites soon mushrooms into an unmanageable number.
The results were surprising: I was led to websites run by Rousseau or Thoreau wannabees. What commonality does the reader see between such blogs and mine? For one thing I do not see Mobility as a journey to the promised land. Some of these 'Freedom of the Open Road' blogs have the same attitude towards travel that religious pilgrims had, in the Middle Ages. The difference is that the latter had a more optimistic belief: they could actually make it to the sacred shrine. They could finish.
In Rob Reiner's wonderful coming-of-age movie, Stand by Me, the boys were having a philosophical conversation around the campfire, at least by the standards of 12 year olds. One boy mused: Wagon Train is such a cool TV show, but did you ever notice that, even though they are always traveling, they never really get anywhere? So it goes with the websites in question.
Combined with Mobility worship there is a Rousseau-ian romanticism of nature. They are always preaching about simplicity or swooning over windmills and solar panels, as they drag 20,000 pounds of stuff over every mile of highway in North America. If they want to expunge evil materialism and luxury from their lives, why don't they start with gasoline?
With the newbies in the Brotherhood of the Wheel there is usually an idolatry of pretty scenery that is plum-silly. It seems as though the most important step in joining the Brotherhood is to act as though you have no body parts above the neck, other than a pair of eyeballs.
So why is this blog linked in with the Brotherhood? I really don't know; maybe I need to write more clearly.
Comments
"idolatry of pretty scenery that borders on puerile idiocy" ...and..."unappealing and trite Rousseau-ian romanticism of nature"...
This from the man who, just in the past couple of days, has written about the suzerains of oak trees, pronounced his love for sunrises and grassy fields, told us of "incandescently yellow" seed heads seeming "to float a foot above the ground"...all of which sounds rather Rousseau-ian, and while you won't ever hear me complaining about romanticizing nature, I am left wondering if the pot isn't just a bit guilty of calling the kettle black...
Yours is a good comment that I might have to answer with a complete post. Perhaps I do play Thoreau sometimes, but that is just for stylistic and imaginative fun. My philosophical motive is quite different from Rousseau or Thoreau.
And then you had the nerve to blast RV'ers (like me) who has a love affair with Americas National Parks. Was it because you couldn't take your dogs with you on hikes there? Your camera used to be a seldom used evil device of Satan, but now suddenly in your stationary life you're discovering it has virtues... you're even waxing poetic about grass in sunlight. I'd say pot and kettle are both black, I'd say, based on your philosophical history you are on the thin ice of hypocrisy.
There are all kinds of people, thus, all kinds of RV'ers. We each have our "idols" and eyes of preference for what makes getting out of bed in the morning worthwhile. While it's true you were never one of "them" in the broader sense, with a big ass motorhome and satellite dish, you pine for a small van version and watch more movies than anyone I know.
There will always be someone out there who is even more minimalist (or what ever) than you or I, and it makes a rant post or blogging in general difficult. Personally, I think you are "evolving." Joining the crowd isn't so bad as long as it's a small one. :))
"Hypocrisy", 'blacks pots and kettles'? I'd prefer you think of this as creative inconsistency. Recall what Emerson said about consistency and little minds.
Perhaps I misread some other blogs and some people have misread mine. I tend to discount people as stereotypes when I read certain buzzwords, such as 'simplicity,' downsizing, sustainable, clean energy, Green jobs, harmony with nature, endangered wildlife, sacred to the Native Americans, etc.
But hey, I never pretended to be the smartest or the "biggest" either.