Hello

[Eric]

Hi Happystuff! It can definitely be a life-long
effort. My perspective on minimalism has
been helped along by finding ways to
expand my thought process to more
realistically consider a wider spectrum of
possibilities. More recently I've come to the
conclusion the internet has provided those
of us with access and some disposable
income nearly infinite permutations of ways
to live and things to have, which makes it a
path of least resistance to accumulate
material goods by way of trial and error via
eBay, Etsy, Amazon, etc. I think realizing this,
unwinding the associated thought patterns,
and paring down to only what I use has been
a bit of a dive into the rabbit hole. I think If one can
remove themselves from their routine
behaviors and thoughts and see see them
more at a distance from fresh perspectives,
it becomes easier to get rid of old habits
that aren't very useful and make new ones
that are.

[Eric]

Thanks Rogar. Glad your friends found something more stable and fulfilling. Thanks for the book recommendation, I will check it out tonight.

I've heard criticisms his documentaries weren't giving enough attention to climate change and human impacts to the environment, and it seems like in more recent documentaries it's more heavily emphasized. I hear you, for some reason I've always kinda preferred his older documentaries more focused on earth science and nature, although some of his newer ones have been very good (the one made a year or so ago about plants put him back in view of the camera...lots of cool novel plant time-lapse, I think they may have used the same techniques on Attenborough now that he's like 95 and moves only slightly faster than bamboo grows).

[Rogar]

Eric, I didn't realize that Attenborough was that old. He might be making his swan song plea to save the wonderful things he's seen in his travels. It's possibly the same shift of focus I've had where it's hard to look at some of the great things in nature without worrying about their future. I actually smiled seeing him in the extinction program, sort of like a visit from an old friend. I think he should be knighted with he's still around.

I imagine hydrology projects are different in the south, but a handful of friends have worked mitigating pollution from the mines in the mountains, where water invasions into the old gold and silver mining tunnels are washing heavy metals into streams that should be pristine. Some have other types of projects, but since I like to fish it's had my interest.

[Eric]

Hi ApetheticNoMore. I think it took me some time to live more like how you have probably always been living. Hopefully Attenborough outlives most Galápagos tortoises, his perspective on global change seems nearly unparalleled given all the places he's explored and how long he's been doing his thing.

[Eric]

Nice to meet you Catherine, and thanks for the welcome. :-) I like your explanation for the quirkiness, well said. Overall, it seems like the community here has a healthy balance of like-mindedness and individuality.

[Eric]

Hello there, Dado Potato,

It sounds like you and your wife had youselves a nice trip to some of the more old-timey small cities down here. What did you learn from the experience?

I'm sure plenty of people down here still call them red birds, though I just call them cardinals.

[dado potato]

I learned to appreciate barbecue and smoked meats. A trip to Floyd VA got us into a drumming circle.