SOMETHING GRAND AND DEAR IS HAPPENING HERE

THE SPEARPOINT OF A LIFESTYLE REVOLUTION--Rubber Tramp Rendezvous Summer 2016

About a hundred of us

In a wide variety of vehicles

Came from far and near (one flew in from Equador)

To assemble here in the forest near Flagstaff, Arizona--At the invitation of this man--Bob Wells--writer and philosopher of http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/

to attend a RUBBER TRAMP RENDEZVOUS.

Our group the 1st BAND OF BOONDOCKERS was well represented.  Kathy makes friends with a bird.

AND THE BIG GUNS--CAME ALSO--meet Rachel Bujalski--a professional photographer--researching alternative lifestyles--see some of her work here in the National Geographic.

She was everywhere---shooting--learning.

Meet Ellis--professional Magician--the best I've ever seen.  He makes a very good living as a Busker.

I trust you will remember Laurie--co-founder with me of the Quest for Community Caravan  and featured in the movie: WITHOUT BOUNDS,  See it here.

Also my colleague CB--co founder of the 1st Band of Boondockers---here entertaining us with a hilarious joke.

One day a group of us went exploring in the nearby Lava River cave.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Yes I think these people are the beginners of a quiet revolution:  mostly against RENT, MORTGAGE, HOME OWNERSHIP, FIXIDITY, EXCESSIVE CONSUMERISM, DRUDGERY AND FOR FREEDOM, FRUGALITY, MOBILITY, SIMPLICITY, SELF EXPRESSION AND CONNECTION.

An estimated million of us are currently on the road.  I believe that most of us live this lifestyle to win for ourselves the opportunity to know ourselves and give our gift. (All anyone ever wanted to do was contribute)

VISIT TO A CITY OF THE FUTURE

COME WITH ME TO THE WORKSHOP OF A GENIUS. This man's Ideas will influence the development of world culture, ecology, architecture, philosophy and YOU.

                                                            Meet Paolo Solari

He envisioned and inspired this:  The world's first ARCOLOGY

located halfway between Phownix and Flagstaff, Arizona.

We decide to go see the place.  Kathy dresses brightly in one of her many flashy gowns.

CB takes a load of us from the 1st BAND OF BOONDOCKERS.

We have dinner in their cafeteria.

Look at their exhibits--watch a film--then make an amazing discovery.

Here's one of our own: Eva.  Years ago she modeled for Paolo and there she is in a book of his drawings.  She has a titilating  story to tell about that session.  Will add it at the end of this post.

Kathy, Barb and Jo (to remember the moment)

RANDY SUMMARIZES PAOLO'S PHILOSOPHY.

1. Civilization began when humanity began to live close together behind defensive city walls.

    Density increases contact, communication, exchange of ideas, skills, products and invention.

2. A great evil of our age is URBAN SPRAWL. It is wasteful of resources--separates us--ruins the natural environment, creates an insulating CAR CULTURE.

3. We can save our environment by living densly again in beautiful, connection-stimulating ARCOLOGIES (architecture/ecology). Think Beehive cities of about 5000 people.

Here's a fair article from the NY Times about the current state of the experiment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/garden/an-early-eco-city-faces-the-future.html?_r=0herehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/garden/an-early-eco-city-faces-the-future.html?_r=0

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  I support Paolo's philosophy that connection can be enriching.  It is a central point in our BAND OF BOONDOCKERS, a mobile community even less damaging to the environment and more stimulative of connection than Arcosanti. I don't think he gave enough thought to the PATTERN OF THAT ASSOCIATION---a crucial detail we hope to remedy. I am preparing a post comparing the patterns of association in various Indian Tribes and the dramatic differences they make.

EVA'S TITILATING STORY:  While visiting Arcosanti some years ago--Solari was in residence and doing charcoal drawings of (beautiful) women.  A posted notice asked for models.  Eva volunteered and sat for him. (nude)  In mid session he asked her in his charming Italian accent:  May I "keese your neeple?  She said no!

BAND OF BOONDOCKERS--PART 3 WHEN HEROES CONNECT

 HEROES (in Joseph Campbell's writings--and here) are people  who respond to the urge to wander into the unknown--muster the will to overcome difficulties--learn from their experiences and share what they learn with others.

All my current companions are heroes in this sense.  All have courageously left the safe and familiar--engineered a comfortable mobility---dared to roll into the unknown---opened up their senses to new experiences.

AND ONE MORE THING:  THEY HAVE CONNECTED-- FOR A TIME-- WITH OTHER HEROES.

The advantages of doing this are obvious and not so obvious:
We are a comforting presence to one another.
We exchange useful information for our journey.
We inspire one another to deeper adventures.
We reap the energy bonuses of collective efforts.
We enhance our sense of ourselves as we are reflected in our interactions.
We polish our social effectiveness.

My vision of our connection is similar to the story of the Knights of the Round Table.  Worthy people gather for all the reasons listed above and eventually formulate a QUEST for themselves.  Then off they go in ones or twos or more to do the deed they have imagined.

AND THEN THEY RETURN TO US---for all the reasons listed above. We are the family of their affection and support---the springboard of their quests.

A GRAND PLAN---RIGHT?  AAhh but everyone knows that that grand plan came crashing down at last--for reasons all too human: love, sex, power, greed-etc.

TO KEEP OUR GOOD THING GOING---TO AVOID THE ROUND TABLE DISASTER--I OFFER THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS AND INSIGHTS. (I have been involved in 4 such visionary enterprises covering 20 plus years. Here's what I've learned:)

1. Humans in close association have 7 primary challenges: PRIVACY, POWER, PERFORMANCE, PROPERTY, PEACEMAKING, PERSONNEL, PURPOSE.
2 These challenges can be approached in two distinct ways:
   A. Moral solutions--try to  "ENGINEER PEOPLE" (persuade" "compel" them to behave harmoniously.
   B. Technical solutions---ENGINEER SITUATIONS so that it is nearly impossible to "do wrong."
       (example: people speeding in the trailer park where children play:  Moral approach: Post a sign           urging a safe speed.  Technical approach: install a speedbump.)
       Believe it or not--most all the challenges mentioned lend themselves to technical solutions---and        thus it is possible to  eliminate  all those vast, wasteful misunderstandings and  rancor and make-wrongs of the moral approach. ( Detailing the how of this is grist for another post)
With squabbles  based on these 7 issues whisked away, people are free to SYNERGIZE and BLOOM.
   
 IMAGINE A CULTURE OF SYNERGY AND BLOOM.
     Imagine the Beatles in their best years---synergetic--creativity in bloom.
     Imagine paying no rent.
     Imagine a life in pleasant weather.
     Imagine a band of talented people to hear your ideas.
     Imagine a spirit of YES--people willing to play your games.
     Imagine a set of friends with no desire to own you, control you, use you.  Who watch you come          and go with equal joy.

THAT IS MY VISION FOR THE BAND OF BOONDOCKERS!

BAND OF BOONDOCKERS---part 2 guest editorial

I'M PLEASED TO SHARE A RECENT EMAIL FROM MY COLLEAGUE AND FELLOW BOONDOCKER

CB Genrich 

To

Randy Vining

May 31 at 6:49 PM

I’m very enthusiastic at the prospect of forming a tiny mobile society - a band of boondockers. My vision is that our band is very similar to what anthropologists refer to as a band society. Selections (for brevity and relevance) from the Wikipedia article “Band (Anthropology)”:

[In anthropology, bands are the tiniest societies, consisting typically of 5-80 people • Until at least 40,000 years ago, probably all humans lived in bands, and most still did as recently as 11,000 years ago • Bands have no permanent single base of residence • There are no formal institutions, such as laws, police, and treaties, to resolve conflicts within and between bands • Organization is often described as "egalitarian" in the sense that there is no formalized social stratification into upper and lower classes, no formalized or hereditary leadership • ”leadership" should be thought of as informal and acquired through qualities such as personality, strength, intelligence • The band is the political, economic, and social organization that we inherited from our millions of years of evolutionary history.]


This is pretty fundamental human stuff and I believe we can benefit from returning to these roots. It's odd to think of those bands as boondockers. Yet they as we had no permanent residence and lived on the land in a way I think modern boondockers can really relate to.

The Wikipedia article also says "In effect, a band is an extended family or several related extended families." Clearly the band I'm interested in forming will not consist of an extended family in the same sense. I take liberty in the caveat "In effect".

Because it will be the family-like character that will distinguish our band from the many other groups of boondockers or RV'ers who, on the surface, appear to function similarly. Our band will emphasize lasting relationships and we will have near familial familiarity with each other. I should know the names of your children and grand children and recognize them in photographs. This character makes our band more meaningful.

I don't want to take the family analogy too far though. I'm not likely to put you in my will for example. Perhaps a better analogy would be the neighborhood-like character of the band; a mobile neighborhood of good friends.

Who's in the band will determine the quality of the band and we should be very cautious in this. I want to be in a great band made up of wonderful people who fit together well. It's not utopian. It's practical. Let me say it again: Who's in the band will determine the quality of the band. Wonderful people who fit together well can get along, make allowances, communicate, cooperate. We all know people who aren't wonderful as well as wonderful people who don't fit together well. Who's in the band will determine the quality of the band. The rest will work itself out organically.