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.
[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.
hear hear. A gracious description of the new age nomatic communal sharing and learning process filled with joy and wonder, and moment by moment acceptance and commaradare.
ReplyDeleteTraveling from wonderus place to place, weather permitting, settleing into bliss, surrounded by contrast in all senses, both physical and mental. Yes, proceed with the tribe, the ultimate vibe, East West and beyond, vast ocean to the reflective pond. Proceed, proceed, again in the direction you came, assuming the ancient name, connecting with tribes of shadow yet awareness, and so benificent, souls awakened, rejoycing dancing by the fire, we can get no higher. Mike.
ReplyDeletewill the membership to the band be flexible ? I mean, do members have the freedom to leave without been put down or worse yet... Stoned LOL.
Mike: Halfway through reading your comment it flashed on me: This is Michael--from Oklahoma--a genius/poet if ever I've met one. Come join us when you get free,
ReplyDeleteIt's really as good
as you'd hope it would be.
Anonymous: Of course our people come and go. What is permanent about our group is our pattern of association. I see each one of us as "on a hero's journey--(a-la Joseph Campbell's book: HERO OF A THOUSAND FACES) I will spell out in some detail how heros meet, greet, interact for a time and then continue on their odyssey. (and then come back to the band for a time--etc)
ReplyDeleteRandy likes to ridicule Mormoms, but I think you guys could learn something from their historical success. They had the enormous good luck to see their prophet assassinated. Poets, prophets, and seers might be good at the beginning. But then the movement needs to be taken over by a Brigham Young.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I am misjudging, but you can't get anywhere in your tribe if everybody wants to be "Joseph Smith."
Point well made for any start up group. If we implement CB's vision there will be no leaders other than the temporary, sporatic type he outlined. I have my intentions focused on synergistic bloom. My specialty--having lived 17 years communally is removing obstacles to that bloom. In my next post, I hope to present details to that end.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea. I would appreciate being kept in the know of it beginning because I'm about to embark on adventures unknown. I envision a loving, compassionate, supportive group to be a part of. This may be it.
ReplyDelete