A while back, I was talking with someone who was a bit older than me, looked real hard... and spelled out what true freedom is all about.
He was asking me about a cart I was using with one of my kayaks - which tells me I must have been out doing river clean-up as it was the cart I normally use with my canoe.
Why was he asking???
He mentioned that he moved to Maine, way way way up north - into a hunting cabin that's on an insane amount of land which he aquired for a very reasonable price - I think like $50k.... anyway - and yes, it's got access to a big lake, and he needed something to transport his canoe.
So, I told him about my cart - and we made some small talk, he went on about how after being a machinist, getting injured on the job, then the job folding so there went his pension - he said fuck this, sold everything and went as far away as he could from here.
I listened with great big ears and eyes as he mentioned how beautiful it is up north, how he hunts and fishes for his food, how there is no electricity, nothing... only creature comfort is a wood burning stove.... yeah, no internet, no cellular, no phones, in fact, he was told that if something happens to him he is out of luck, because nobody will be able to find him because nobody will know.
I was like - I mean a light bulb went on...... - and I was like, MAN, THAT'S FREEDOM BABY !!
He looked at me and mentioned how he wished he discovered it sooner.
So, I started doing what I could to get out of the rat race and back into nature, and while for me it's going to take some time before I can head north as well, far away from people, etc... all this bullshit that keeps us from living.
Now, you're probably wondering what he was doing at the Derby boat launch.
I wish I remembered but he was there with his son, who I believe brought him back down here for something important - which required his presence.....
I should have given him my cart for his canoe.
Damn it...............
But yeah, totally.
My life was perfect - until I got my first computer.
To my credit, S.T.P. is the only place I ever go now as far as on-line interaction goes - and someday that will cease too.........