Do you ever get tired of the people herds?

Maybe I'm just on a bummer because I've had some serious crud for the past 10 days and am physically exhausted. I just want to make an observation about the human condition. As I've lain propped on the couch in a Nyquil fog trying to not cough my lungs up, I've done some channel surfing. Lord, I'm tired of people herds. Nation-state herds, tribal herds, fashion herds, trend herds, stupid criminal herds, media herds, rugged indiviudalist herds, batshit crazy herds, religious herds...all endlessly milling around their stuff, fighting over stuff, planning ways to get more stuff, selling stuff, pushing stuff. And, stuff is stupid too.

Enough, already.

Seems kind of pointless when you see people herds.

Asleep in 45 minutes...:boring:

But, then one has the supposed individualist libertarians. But they also "herd" in flocks following Ayn Rand.

Unfortunately, observing this and being frustrated that, when it comes down to it, human beings are mostly herd animals has turned me into a grouchy, old, but hungry lion.

to having one or I'd probably disrupt a herd or two.

Hunt on.

I am a hermit, by choice. Though I see my family daily, I do not tend to see other people very often. At this point in life, it suits me fine.

Come to think of it, I've always liked to spend time alone. My wife and children changed that, to a very large extent. But other than that, I prefer solitude. Yet I love to read about sociology, which is the study of herd behavior.

(Years ago, I asked an elderly --who was a role model of appropriate hermitology -- neighbor if he knew of any Indian occupation sites in the rural area we lived in. He pointed out that people are people -- which is true -- and thus, people lived everywhere. He told me that he thought that there were always some individuals that choose to live away from the larger community, as he did. He told me about a rock shelter/cave he had found as a teen, when a thunder storm approached while he was hunting. While there, he figured Indians must have sat there many times in the past. It became his favorite spot to get away. As old men do, he said go to the big pine tree, then left to the second boulder, then to the right, you'll find it. I went there with my brother, and as I sat there, my brother moved a few branches and loose rocks to sit down. He found a spearhead on the ground. It was from what is known as the Fox Creek culture, from about 350 ad. In the cave area, I found numerous pottery sherds, from four broken pots. I used to love to sit there, in the middle of the woods, away from the herd.)

I wonder when kids nowadays have the NECESSARY time for regular solitude and discovery.

Herds. Yep. To many herds, not enough human beings just being.

I walked out and spent some time at my pond. I like to feed the fish and fill up the bird feeders. I can't imagine wanting to leave there, to head into a busy community.

The world is moving faster and faster. It is important to take time away from it, to slow down, and invest time thinking about what it means to be human. Reading Whitman and/or Thoreau is enough contact with the outside world, most days. (Edited to add visiting DU, usually.)

is solitude. I could get it there and it was easy to get into the desert or mountain wilderness alone.

Here? I can't get alone easily or completely. It's weird. The drive yesterday was alone and it was very good, possibly a major reason I went to the meeting/class.

The old bridge over the Missouri River is still standing. Big iron thing with many trusses and supports. Was told the old bridge was still there but the road now went on a new one. Was not prepared for the visceral reaction. It was just a smaller version of the old bridge across the Missouri at St Joe where I am from. A flood of long forgotten images, feelings, sounds, smells, came back up from my soul. It was amazing and there is much I must sort through and learn from.

I knew I would be happy to see 'my river'. I always am. Seeing surface water is a precious thing when you have lived long in a dry place. But more, the river brings me my grandmother, long gone from my 'here and now' senses. But reaction to that bridge was a surprise. It is good to be surprised at our age. Best to be surprised while alone, perhaps.

These wankers are about as individualist as your average Hershey's Kiss.

Millions of Americans think of themselves as "rebels" and quite a few even put that on their license plates; but they're no different from most people and can't think for themselves. Partying 'til you puke every Friday and Saturday night does not make you a rebel.

I remember in the 60s and 70s (my adolescence and young adulthood) everyone rebelled by dressing and acting like the millions of other "rebels". You became a non-comformist by conforming with all of the other non-comformists. I think it's the same thing every generation.