Hey hey hey. Today in Review. Well I woke up and worked out. Drove the 3 miles to the gym to workout. I’m changin’ that all pretty soon. I’m going to start a section in “rants” to document all the miles I ride on my bike instead of drive. This won’t include recreation riding. Anyway being bored I wanted to get outta town and into the wilderness. So I picked a spot on the map called “green swamp.” I had no idea what it was like or if it was some big housing development(which wouldn’t surprise me). It’s about an hour away, actually probably more like 45 minutes. When I got out there to 211 south, it was nothing but long leaf pines and a couple random farms. Apparently, the road was part of the N.C. scenic byway, explaining why I didn’t encounter any housing developments. I was really just driving to get away from the hustle and bustle of Wilmington. I drove past this pace on the road that looked like a dirt turn around. When I pulled in to investigate I learned that it was part of the Nature Conservancy’s land. Apparently, they bought it from some paper company. Most of the land I saw was owned by International Paper, which my dad sells because he is a paper salesman. Anyway almost the whole road was own by them which explained the lack of development, but also the lack of large trees. So with no plans and a camera I hopped out leaving my keys in my car because I’m a trusting guy who doesn’t think anyone’s in the market for a beat up old ‘87 4runner. Camera in hand I began walking. There was a clearly marked trail, but it looked as if no one had tramped on in it a while. Not only that the trail head sign explaining the significance of the land was beat in and trashed. Probably by some drunken, jacked up Ford truck driving, God fearing republican teenager with not enough to occupy his tiny brain. Anyway as I kept walking I began to notice something I hadn’t seen in awhile. What I noticed was that I didn’t notice anything. It was all forest. No sounds from the highway, just the wind blowing through the long leaf pines and an occasional lizard scampering off the trail. I must have stopped a few times to do a 360, taking in all the solitude the forest has to give. It was an alien feeling being all alone in the forest. I imaged I had stepped back in time, 200 year before anyone “settled” this country. In reality though, I had stepped back in time. Today, it’s all about progress and having a nice car, parked outside your house in the development called something like “willow woods.” A lot of people think development is a good thing. What happens when there is nothing left to develop though? When the land is so overrun by people and strip malls that there is nothing left except animals in zoos, hell even trees, because there won’t be that many left. Anyway, it just got me thinking about my own footprint in this whole world. A year ago I would have loved living in a huge log cabin with a nice truck and all the furnishings a beautiful house would have. This last year has changed me a lot however. Mostly because of seeing the development in this area and trips like today. I see what has happened to the land, and what it used to be like. A lot of people living in cities don’t get to see the destruction and therefore don’t understand what’s so bad about it. That’s made me realize that I don’t need a huge house with all the amenities. Instead I want to live off the grid. Shit in the woods(so to speak). Have a large garden with all the vegetables I could want to can and make the most out of my time here. People are selfish. Don’t get me wrong I’d love to live in a huge house and have tons of nice stuff. But for what? There’s no good reason to have that stuff other than to show off. I could give two shits if someone thinks my house is nice. What does it all matter in the end anyway. Were just shitting where we eat. But I think it’s inevitable the way were going. Everyone is worried about how much their next paycheck is instead of what they’re doing to mother earth. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mean to sound like too much of a hippie(in fact I hate those middle class, pot smokin’ wannabees), but with people in Africa starving, and getting mutilated while 16 year old girls worry that their BMW isn’t expensive enough just makes me sick. Yes, as Americans we do have a right to show off our wealth and buy what we want because we’ve “earned” it. However, at the same time with that wealth and freedom comes the responsibility make sure the earth and the inhabitants aren’t completely fucking themselves in the ass(sorry for the language- I’m a few Coors originals into the night). Anyway, America- Stop being dicks to the Earth. Please. We all play our part, remember that.