8-29 Seeking offline-ness and slowness, bump in the night, more trash

Note: As you can tell from the date in the title I’m still catching up on prior handwritten entries. Once caught up I plan on sorting a way to keep this blog current with the notes. Perhaps type ’em up each night? Thing is I don’t want to use the computer that much. Am open to any ideas…

Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky

In my continuing efforts to be offline more I’m not checking the news of the world as often. It is refreshing and reinvigorating to be free of the constant hammering of the mind.

I’ve realized checking the news is a dopamine hit — the worse the headlines are the bigger it is.

Being naturally curious about what’s going on in the world, I don’t want to bury my head in the sand either. So my goal is to top off the news perhaps in the afternoon like we used to get an afternoon newspaper back in the day.

Balance. It seems to work well so far.

On a related note I’ve noticed there are quite a bit less areas here in the contiguous States that don’t have cellular coverage since I started nomading six years ago.

For modern society it’s probably a good thing. But otherwise for those of us who like to get away from it all.

Sure, it’s easy to just turn everything off but psychologically/mentally (and likely physically too — giving our bodies a break from the constant pulsing of microwave and radio signals) it’s a whole different and liberating feeling when an invisible blanket is cast across the sky rendering a cone of silence.

I miss it.

It’s now my goal to find more of these endangered places completely disconnected from the world at large before they’re gone altogether.

P.S. I know I can get a portable satellite internet kit but why wear a leash? In my case erranding to towns for work related connectivity suffices.

It’s interesting how I sometimes yearn back to a world where slow connectivity ruled the day (letters, landline phones, actually hanging with people, etc.), freeing us of today’s tethers and yet…. Those very tethers are how I make a living.

Hmm. How can one be completely free of all tethers, wander the land without worry about business/work and still make a living in these days?

Something I’ve pondered for a good while. Maybe in the writing answers will come?

While writing this a window curtain lifts and flutters from the cool night breeze.

It’s a reminder I am never alone in the embrace of Mother Nature.

Later that evening I’m startled when I feel something bump the camper. It’s a bit unnerving because I cannot hear a thing.

Pulling curtain aside, I look out the window and see nothing in the strong moonlight. So I cautiously step out to investigate further and find a feral cat underneath the camper.

Shining the flashlight around I see glinting eyes of a coon or possum. Perhaps they were fleeing or playing with the cat, who knows?

That reminds me, I’ll have to share a story from the time I felt a nudge on my camper when cooking dinner and later found it was from a bear…

This may be a recurring theme but it’s worth repeating in the hopes somehow this energy resonates outwards and infects others to rethink their ways.

I’m seeing more and more trash around these campsites and natural areas — even the more remote places. It’s always been a problem but the intensity of it has increased post-covid.

It’s sad to see such careless ways mar nature’s beauty. She is a gift given to us only to be given the dirty finger.

So perplexing to see those connoisseurs of nature (especially fishermen - they are the worst, oddly) not give a shit.