The Woods Are… OPEN

My worst nightmare is over. 

Finally, after weeks of being shut out of the Nova Scotia wilderness, our government has rescinded the directive to stay out of the woods.

The only fires I heard of, including one that was visible on the horizon from my home, were started by lightning. 

Too bad the government couldn't ban that.

It is true though, that this was a droughty, dry summer without any appreciable rain whatsoever for months. It was terrible, and I have never seen so many trucks hauling water pass by our home in the 11 years we have lived here. Nor have I ever had to be out in the garden watering almost every day, which was a nice problem to have.

But it was also a drought for the part of my soul reserved specifically for enjoying the wilderness. It was parched, cracked, and hurting after my multi-week hiking and biking dry patch.

I definitely did not break the mandate three times to slake my shrivelling soul because I am a good, obedient, and compliant citizen. All governments operate for the safety, health, and happiness of the people. And if you believe that, I have a mandate you might like.

As soon as I heard that the woods were OPEN mid-September, I got my act together pronto and hit the trails. 

I took the pictures in this post on a recent bike ride to a local lake. The route consists of several kilometers of old logging trails through the woods. While I did not see another soul over the two hour ride, I did have a great blue heron fly directly over me at the lake, and I flushed a spruce grouse on the trail.

Back in nature, elation followed against a fall pallet of reds, yellows, and browns splashed against a backdrop of clear, blue sky.

My heart soared, and I was finally able to satisfy the wilderness requirements infused into every cell of my being.

Open at last, open at last, thank God almighty we are open at last.

Zombified

We’ve been zombified in so-called developed nations because what has really been developed has been a slick, modern, shiny, unhappy compliance with the consumer economy.

How could it turn out any different with the massive push to infect us with the viruses of FOMO and instant gratification?

That is why I don’t blame the victims here, all of us that have been indoctrinated, marinated, obliviated, and manipulated into a robotic satiation of consumer cravings by a young age.

Data backs this up: in the U.S., retail sales hit $7.2 trillion in 2024, and the purchase of ‘experiences' (travel, concerts, etc.) grew 30% since 2019. 

Social media is the superspreader of this infection, with 60% of Gen Zers polled saying posts on sites like Instagram invite viewers to join the Consumer Zombie Nation and indulge in impulse buys. Better than brains - less messy and more fun.

Meanwhile, simple living, mindfulness, and minimalism trends are (feebly) rising as a pushback forms. Research shows that only about 10% of Americans actively practice minimalism. 

I get it - zombies want what zombies want. But eventually everyone has been zombified, the system is tapped out, and there are no fresh brains left.

The still zombified, or the zombie curious in newly consumerized nations, need compassion and understanding.

The kind and loving thing to do for yourself or someone you love, is to take a dose of the safe and effective simplicity solution. Its ingredients are minimalism, enoughism, discipline, gratitude and mindfulness. This solution has been tested over thousands of years and proven to be a robust treatment for consumer zombification.

Side effects include frugality, thrift, moderation, self-control, joy, and happiness, as well as improved mental and physical health.

There has to be a mass movement of people that wish to reclaim a more genuine life and purpose through mindful joyful living guided by the practices of simplicity and minimalism. Only then can we successfully de-zombify as cultures and civilizations.

What, or who, do you think’s driving the zombie-like cravings that continue to command so much time, money, resources, and attention? 

Is it social pressure, boredom, or something deeper? 

Let us know what you think in a comment below.