I remember so well having similar conflicted feelings about teaching!
Also, coincidentally, I just ordered Kingsnorth's book, Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist from the library. -- I've been researching deep ecology for something I'm working on.
On what a coincidence! I just ordered that book too, ha! You might want to check out the Dark Mountain Project manifesto he co-wrote too, given your research. https://dark-mountain.net/about/manifesto/. And thanks so much for the solidarity, Mary. I hope it comes across in the piece that everything usually works out well in the end, but I still get antsy. Good to hear I'm not alone! Hope all is well with you.
I can certainly understand that perspective. I was in a pretty similar headspace around 2020. I'm not entirely out of it, and this isn't an attempt to plug or anything, but I did attempt to write about my position on things as a way of unpacking my own thoughts: https://pennywagers.substack.com/p/shredding-the-gnar
I think that for the first time, we are capable of providing ourselves with too much choice and convenience—that we've now proven through mental health outcomes that they can become vices. But encouragingly, I think awareness regarding this phenomenon already started a decade or so prior, and more and more people are opting out of these strange new abundances.
James, thanks so very much for commenting and sharing your piece. I loved it (even though I can't imagine a circumstance in which I will ever surf!). Your piece definitely hit hard. I've been thinking a lot about embodied experiences lately. I recently joined a local curling club and have been taking guitar lessons from a guy at my church. I feel a desperate need for the material world. Well done, sir!
Thanks for checking it out but can I just say, curling? Really? I’m so freaking envious. (I grew up in the mountains with a lot of snow cover, but no curling was available back home. Now, I live in a much warmer area and I feel like I missed my opportunity!)
Is it expensive to start? Is it difficult to move around to start with?
LOL. A curling club from a neighboring city (Altoona) moved into our little town’s ice rink because they got a better deal. I had no excuse not to try it! It’s been a blast. There was a big adjustment period to the movements of the game, but I think I’ve adapted fairly well. As for cost. There is a club membership and you pay for ice time each week you go. If you do want to travel to bonspiels and compete, it probably can get pricey. At this point in my life, I’m happy to keep it local, though. The big thing is that it’s fun, it’s physical, and the other people in the club are really nice and interesting.
Oh man that sounds like a blast. I'll be on the lookout in my area, and I wouldn't mind even traveling a bit to give it a go. Thanks for the description!
Lots of clubs have "Learn to Curl" nights to recruit new members. That's how I discovered ours (Rail City Curling Club). If you can find one, you should check it out!
I remember so well having similar conflicted feelings about teaching!
Also, coincidentally, I just ordered Kingsnorth's book, Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist from the library. -- I've been researching deep ecology for something I'm working on.
On what a coincidence! I just ordered that book too, ha! You might want to check out the Dark Mountain Project manifesto he co-wrote too, given your research. https://dark-mountain.net/about/manifesto/. And thanks so much for the solidarity, Mary. I hope it comes across in the piece that everything usually works out well in the end, but I still get antsy. Good to hear I'm not alone! Hope all is well with you.
I can certainly understand that perspective. I was in a pretty similar headspace around 2020. I'm not entirely out of it, and this isn't an attempt to plug or anything, but I did attempt to write about my position on things as a way of unpacking my own thoughts: https://pennywagers.substack.com/p/shredding-the-gnar
I think that for the first time, we are capable of providing ourselves with too much choice and convenience—that we've now proven through mental health outcomes that they can become vices. But encouragingly, I think awareness regarding this phenomenon already started a decade or so prior, and more and more people are opting out of these strange new abundances.
James, thanks so very much for commenting and sharing your piece. I loved it (even though I can't imagine a circumstance in which I will ever surf!). Your piece definitely hit hard. I've been thinking a lot about embodied experiences lately. I recently joined a local curling club and have been taking guitar lessons from a guy at my church. I feel a desperate need for the material world. Well done, sir!
Thanks for checking it out but can I just say, curling? Really? I’m so freaking envious. (I grew up in the mountains with a lot of snow cover, but no curling was available back home. Now, I live in a much warmer area and I feel like I missed my opportunity!)
Is it expensive to start? Is it difficult to move around to start with?
LOL. A curling club from a neighboring city (Altoona) moved into our little town’s ice rink because they got a better deal. I had no excuse not to try it! It’s been a blast. There was a big adjustment period to the movements of the game, but I think I’ve adapted fairly well. As for cost. There is a club membership and you pay for ice time each week you go. If you do want to travel to bonspiels and compete, it probably can get pricey. At this point in my life, I’m happy to keep it local, though. The big thing is that it’s fun, it’s physical, and the other people in the club are really nice and interesting.
Oh man that sounds like a blast. I'll be on the lookout in my area, and I wouldn't mind even traveling a bit to give it a go. Thanks for the description!
Lots of clubs have "Learn to Curl" nights to recruit new members. That's how I discovered ours (Rail City Curling Club). If you can find one, you should check it out!