An Adventurous Life
Like most aspects of our very existence, what constitutes "adventure", has been commodified so as to become unrecognizable to mere mortals.
Its like, if you're not doing a first, peak, cape, longest of fastest by a geographic feature, then you're just piddling about. So all you parents, Scout and Guides leaders, young adults, waifs in sandals and curious kids? Yep, nothing you do counts. Oh, unless you use X Brand equipment. Then you're Cool, but still a Wannabe.
As we get older, we question Marketplace Constructions such as these and conclude, they're BS. Just the outcome of Marketing, Self Promotion and Media Hype.
Like Feminists "Reclaiming the Night", we have to reclaim our perceptions of Adventure (that's what the Fem's called Consciousness Raising), and get out in public and act it out. One-time proponents of larger Adventures such as Alistair Humphries and Beau Miles are onto this shift. They realised, as they got older, began living with a mate, had children and secured jobs they enjoyed, that Throwing Everything Away to become First Timer at something was no longer desirable or necessary.
Just quietly, I think its got a lot to do with Ego. Leaving the ego aside to do less death defying or purposely headline grabbing. All through history there have been ego driven adventurers or even those whose ego takes them to places they never wanted to go. Donald Crowhurst comes to mind as a possible example of an adventurer seeking fame and fortune, painted thwmselves into a corner.
Anyway Messrs Humphries, Miles and co. have raised their consciousnesses and are going public and encouraging the disenfranchaised to come back out and have a crack.
Another neat thing that Beau does (well he did as a newly married guy before children), is eat from the pot, and use one spoon, eat simply, own just 4 pairs of undies and wear worn and simple clothes, so that the adventurer's life os with you every waking moment. Reclaim you inner joy, go:
Sleep on a hilltop, in a tree, on a beach, anywhere unusual.
Go in the bush and boil a kettle.
Do stuff other than make money or veg out in front of the tv. Dare ya!
Comments
Post a Comment