WildernessPunk Abode

What is the scariest thing you can imagine? Sure, we all get nightmares of monsters and things which don’t happen to people, unless you read my novels, but what about more reality based occurrences? What has happened to you, which you just flipping hated?

For me, it’s moving. Okay, maybe I’m a freak, but I’m sure many are similar to me, but since I started college, oh so many years ago, I’ve moved seventeen times. I have nightmares about being homeless. Even at my last place where I lived over twelve years, I still had homelessness dreams. Some people dream about being naked in school and not knowing where your classroom is taking the big exam you haven’t studied for, I have nightmares where my housing is yanked.

Yeah, give me a nightmare where I can punch some monster in the throat any time.

There is a point to my graphic musing. I sit here tonight at the edge of a fold out sleeper sofa and try to digest what is about to happen. Me, so recently of Flagstaff, but now living in the castle, will soon be moving into the center of the city and partaking in the race.

Gone will be the walks through the desert and laps in the pool. This is my last night in desert paradise. Tomorrow the coin flips.

 

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Two weeks later…

Now here I sit in my mostly furnished and ready to rock little home. Nothing fancy, but after looking at over thirty rentals and over sixty miles of desert summer heat bike riding, I have a place to lay my head and store my dubious collection of possessions.

Funny part of the story is when, after waking up and feeling down on myself for having to ride my bike 12 miles for an appointment to see this place, the guy asked, “How far did you ride?”

“From the other side of the interstate—way past Silverbell and Grant.”

“Okay, some other groups were supposed to come and look at the place now, but I’m just going to give it to you, since you road your bike.”

That’s pretty WildernessPunk right there.

I’m trying not to be overly ego-centric with this post. Anyone who has read a few WP knows I attempt to make a point past myself and more wide sweeping.

However… also anyone following WildernessPunk since it started, knows the thrust of the concept of WP centered around living without housing in at least partially in the wilds (Wilderness) but somehow making the money to do so from the internet and writing (Punk, in the Cyberpunk manner).

So this brings up two points.

• One after first hitting the streets and forests in April of 2016, I have a real place again. So Yay!! One could say a chapter of my life is complete.

 

• And two, I am or can I continue to be a WildernessPunk?

 

What would a WildernessPunk in the middle of a city look like? Good question. One thing to keep in mind is that it could be quite possible for me to have a lower carbon print than someone living deep in the forest. For if they have to drive twenty miles into town at least once a week, and I meet 100% of my needs by traveling via bike or on foot, I’ve already got a big head start.

Still there’s more to life than competing or comparing yourself to others.

WildernessPunk is also doing what’s right for yourself, your health, both mental and physical, and the environment, even if it seems odd or conflicts with some cultural norms. So perhaps, “Saving yourself and a bit of the world, even if you end up looking half nuts.”

So, for all you urban dwellers, or everyone I know, (Except Zah) here’s a list of ways to be a bit WildernessPunk in your city or town.

• Obvious number one. Don’t drive or just do it as a last resort.

• Recycle everything, not just in the bin, I mean yourself. Reuse as much as possible, then recycle it. Don’t buy things which can’t be recycled. Hell, don’t buy things. Make them. Scrounge them.

 

• Barter and trade. Everything you trade for is one less thing which needs to be built. Or perhaps one less thing for you or a friend need to be wasting money on.

 

• I know this is touched on above, but find the things you need on the street, in dumpsters, in a friend’s back yard. One way a city often has the country beat, is the wealth of material items just overflowing everywhere. You don’t get a chance to pick through half broken chairs and boards to see if they can be used in the northern reaches of the Navajo Nation. Here huge a wealth of items are just waiting for you to keep them out of the landfills. (Note, don’t become a messy hoarder about it, but fixing an old lawn chair is better than buying one at ACE for twenty bucks. You’re helping yourself and the environment this way.)

 

• More people often mean more collaboration. Fixing a meal for five people uses less resources and money than five people fixing five meals.

 

• Do things to save on resources even if they seem weird. A friend of mine here has covered many of his windows with plywood this summer. People might think it’s extreme. But I think it is extremely awesome, because his place is cooler and he’s saving money and resources. I’m reusing my shower water for watering the bushes I have outside. Yeah, I’m a freak.

• Public transportation, liberties, free events, things for kids, the list can go on.

 

Could these and other things keep the fire of WildernessPunk alive or maybe I’d kidding myself about the whole thing. I guess we’ll just have to see.

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You can grab some of my fiction here, which I promise has nothing to do with this.

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