While the industrial revolution had a tremendous effect on improvement of quality of life and productivity, it also had a tremendous and inevitable effect on the separation of humans from nature. This separation is at the root of the ecological disasters we are faced with in today’s modern world and while we do not suggest we revert to a medieval lifestyle, we do advocate a return to contact with nature at every possible opportunity to do so. The importance of this in terms of physical and emotional health is immeasurable, not to mention the fact that our modern lifestyle robs us of fresh, clean air, it burdens us with countless stressors, and it tends to numb the sense of connectedness to all things we share in spite of our insulation.
We cannot stress enough the importance of making the time to enjoy nature as often as possible. By making opportunities to explore and enjoy nature, we will inevitably reduce our level of stress, improve our health through exercise and fresh air, and we will renew and nurture our love, appreciation and respect for nature and its perfection. There is a lot to be said about the healing effects of spending a couple of days in the forest or walking on the beach, swimming in the river or lake, hiking just to hike, looking for wildlife and enjoying the quiet and peaceful surroundings. This can all be accomplished with varying degrees of “comfort” and while an RV with satellite TV, microwave oven, and an Xbox is better than not getting out there at all, Barbequia is about balancing simplicity with comfort and finding comfort in simplicity.
As we venture out into nature, it is important to do so with an attitude of respect and equality. We have no need to place ourselves above any other form of life, but rather interact with nature as a part of her, another of her many components. Barbequians in nature are the stewards thereof because we can be – we have the capacity, therefore we have the responsibility. As stewards, we have no ownership or authority, just responsibility to care for and protect. This means we make a conscious effort to leave a place better than when we arrived by removing any litter left by others, picking up cans, bottles and plastic mindlessly dropped by those of lesser conscience. It means we do not disturb the wildlife and certainly never harm it in any way shape or form. While we may carefully handle some forms of wildlife if we are able to do so safely and responsibly, we must go to great lengths to replace the creature exactly where and how we found it. Better yet, take a picture to be enjoyed forever and leave the animal or plant alone. We must tread carefully leaving nothing behind but footprints and those are lightly placed so as to not needlessly trample vegetation and wildlife harborage. Being a Barbequian Steward means not cutting down live trees for firewood, but using what nature has already discarded, being cautious to completely extinguish any flame and cover any traces of burning, and ideally, only doing so in designated areas or using camp stoves that minimize impact.
When we think of nature, we immediately think of forests, lakes, oceans, and mountains and we somehow don’t consider that nature and wildlife are also inside our homes in the form of plants, pets, and insects that venture in, as well as in our yard, the parks and green areas in our cities and even the urban concrete jungles as our fellow creatures inhabit all of these.
Plants are a controversial subject, but Barbequia is about simplicity in theory and practice, so we see plants as a source of food, decoration, air purification and vital to the sustenance of life on our planet and therefore a part of our stewardship. When we invite a plant into our lives for food in a garden or decoration in our home or yard, we acquire a responsibility for ensuring that the plants life purpose be fulfilled completely and to the best of our ability. This means we provide water, appropriate soil, nutrients, and care until the plants purpose is fulfilled. In the case of a carrot, this is a short-term thing and in the case of a tree, it’s ongoing. However, the responsibility for the Barbequian Steward is the same.
Spending time in the forests, on the beach or in the mountains or desert is by far the more effective if not at least the more dramatic form of interacting with and enjoying nature. However, we can and should appreciate, love and respect the nature and wildlife that grace our urban developments as well, and with the same fervor. I am extremely saddened when I see kids with pellet guns shooting beautiful birds or squirrels that have done nothing to deserve premature death, or someone killing a spider because they happen to be afraid of it. And while I won’t go on a tirade about senseless killing, I will make my point. More troubling than children with pellet guns are adults with high-powered weapons setting the deplorable example for the children to follow. I made myself watch one of those hunting shows on cable TV once recently and they were hunting deer. The guy was completely camouflaged, on his belly with a high-powered rifle on a bipod fitted with a scope waiting for this buck to walk onto the dirt road. As the deer approached the road, the hunter took aim and fired and the deer ran about 50 feet and fell to the ground. At this point I was horrified and baffled as to the challenge involved or how this qualifies as sport since you would have to be an idiot to miss the deer but more of one to want to kill it in the first place. The hunter let out this blood curdling yell and ran over and picked the buck up by the horns for the camera to see, unable to contain his excitement hooting and hollering about what a beautiful buck and what a great shot as the animal wretched and twitched as life left its body. The anger I felt at first was admittedly unhealthy as I realize it was based in the fear produced by my inability to do anything about the situation I was watching, but the sadness was inevitable as I wondered why, and what events took place in that guy’s past to promote such barbaric behavior and lack of respect for life to want to kill something even he admitted was beautiful just because he could. And we wonder why cases of child abuse, torture and sexual predation are so rampant. We apparently have a skewed view of the value of life and how can we place value in one area when it is non-existent in others? Either we value and honor life or we don’t. We can’t make excuses or exceptions based on species any more than we can based on age, gender or race. While my intent is not to compare the morality of the hunt with that of child abuse, the underlying principle of selfish gratification, lack of respect and honoring of life is at the root of both scenarios.
There are simple things we can do to implement the principles of honoring life and nature around our homes and yards. First of all, there is no need to kill any bug unless it poses an eminent danger and even then it is debatable when the bug can simply be collected and released where it doesn’t pose a threat to humans. Sure, it is more inconvenient to relocate it than simply squashing the poor thing, but the inconvenience is what elevates us from usurper to steward in Barbequia. While all spiders can bite, there are only a few that are actually dangerous and most have benefits in terms of insect control that far outweigh their potential threat. If you see a bug in the house that you would rather wasn’t there, move it outside. If you happen across any other reptiles, rodents or animals that we have labeled as pests, then it is important to find a way to cohabitate or have it removed by a capable, qualified person that will relocate it rather than destroy it. It is important to keep in mind that 90% of pest infestations can be avoided by proper sanitation practices. Keep a clean home and eliminate food sources and access sites and you will eliminate most of the potential for pests.
If you see an animal and you find yourself thinking about shooting it or how to kill it, it may be time for some introspection and honest soul searching to determine why you harbor such anger, violence and disregard for life. What events may have conditioned you to be so prone to violence and bloodshed? It is something that most of us have to do as we evolve in Barbequia. In my youth I did prematurely end many lives that did nothing to deserve it but merely be there. As I mature, I have realized that I did have issues with anger that were unleashed in a way that just aggravated things. There comes a time when we have to just stop being pissed off, stop being the victim and looking for the universe and everyone else to feel sorry for us. We need to look at our dysfunctional past as a series of choices and stop blaming or resenting our parents or family for the abuse, neglect, or whatever it may have been and accept responsibility for our own life and happiness. Then we can make the shift to steward as we learn that our choices are not good or bad, just choices with natural consequences, the sum of which have made us who we are today. We have the power to modify who we are today any way we please through our ongoing choices. Now we can move forward and step into the role of steward and protector and develop the love and respect for all living things that is necessary to evolve in Barbequia. If as Barbequians, we develop and nurture a respect and honor for all life, we inevitably become more loving, peaceful, tolerant and aware of the connection between all things.