I’m having one of those days where I need a little inspirational kick in the ass. Thanks to Edward Abbey for being the man to provide it. His incredible work, Desert Solitaire, changed the way I looked at the outdoors and the way mankind plays and works in it. His eco-warrior testament The Monkey Wrench Crew was one of the first adult books I read that wasn’t penned by Stephen King. That sort of shit screws with a 13 year old’s view of the world…even more so than King’s terrifying monsters. This quote of Abbey’s is fueling me today:
“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast….a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.“ — Edward Abbey
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a good manifesto for the good life.
No doubt Josh. I think it’s a great philosophy and strikes the perfect balance of passion and personal responsibility in one’s life. Now, if only I could get away from this desk…
Right on Mike, it’s been many a year since I read that myself, that paragraph struck a chord then, and holds true for me today. Thanks for posting that, drop a line if you are through Revy this winter…
Aaron
Monkey Wrench Gang holds a cherished place on my bookshelf, and thanks to your co-sign, Desert Solitaire will not be far behind.