I'M PLEASED TO SHARE A RECENT EMAIL FROM MY COLLEAGUE AND FELLOW BOONDOCKER
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.
BAND OF BOONDOCKERS---part 2 guest editorial
Reviewed by Unknown
on
June 02, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
June 02, 2016
Rating:
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