my fair share

I constantly struggle to stay downshifted.... to keep it in low gear.  It ain't easy.  It's the ole 'one earth equivalence' that has guided my lifestyle.  It wasn't easy transitioning from the mainstream hamster wheel of constant go-go-go, get more-get more, me-me-me, what about me? routines.  It took many years for my behaviors to change, to accept living with a small footprint, to get and REMAIN humble.  
Along the lines of Kermit saying 'it ain't easy being green'  I'd like to say it ain't easy staying in low gear.  
There's so much temptation out there, so many things that can make life easier - an illusion at best!  so many things to experience, to do, to keep up with... the human race.  But what about keeping up with nature by tuning down? 

changing behaviors
Peer pressure has a huge influence over human behavior.  What your friends and family do has a driving influence over your behavior.  It's BF Skinner's environmental behavior proposition that really drives our everyday actions and overall life strategies: our environment shapes our behavior.  

Since most of us spend it within various communities of people, they influence our lives more.  For some that spend most of it in nature - that, influences them:  think John Muir++.

I live in a deep forest and once or twice a week i go into the city.  These transitionsare difficult.  Like right now, I am typing this from the Yosemite Lodge at 7am (oct 2019) with 40F temps outside and a whole bunch of hi-end tourists all over the place. I've been doing this for over 30 years and still can't shake the dichotomy of feelings:  awe inspiring nature with all masses of humanity and all their proclivities. Lately it's feeling more like DizznyLand than a revered nature sanctuary.  Selfies, cigarettes flicked out of cars, yelling, diesel maintenance vehicles, massive tour buses, groups of Asians with yellow beanie hats... on and on... and amidst it all stands the tall trees, the stately granite slabs and cascading water falls.  And the kids - it's wonderful to see kids out in nature, but there's a limit!   A typical campground finds too many RVs with their gensets running, doors and windows tightly shut.  When we used to camp in the valley, we saw many RVs pull up with no one ever getting out for days... they were probably watching a TV special about Yosemite inside and in their own way feeling 'fulfilled'.  sad... 

I like living next to endless 'real' forests, i like my solitude to a point.  AND I like to think that I only use my fair share.  And that brings up the heart of the matter - what the heck is a fair share?  It's one-earth equivalence.  I've lectured and written about it a lot...

Stay tuned to this 'fair share' blog.  I'm writing several articles about it and hope to get one published.

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