The Caretaker Monthly
Sharing the Journey
by
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Our future does not hinge entirely on what has already been done and definitely not on the assumption that we will continue along the same trail that those before us have followed. The difference we make will be in what we do now and how we act in the future. We need to accept what the Earth Mother does while she carries on with the task of living. Sometimes a forest must burn to keep itself healthy and rejuvenate the habitat for those that live there. A river needs to occasionally swell and purge its course to cleanse itself of silt and debris. Sometimes the earth takes a deep breath and exhales those gale force winds that have disastrous effects on peoples lives but to the earth they are just a natural occurrence, a function of the body of the earth. There are those things, those powerful workings of nature of which our presence holds no consequence yet often there are times we should participate with nature and be an integral part of the cycles of life. The forest service is made up of people that can skillfully assist with burning the understory of a forest to help protect the sanctity of life for those of us that have the opportunity to live there. Our feathered
and four legged brothers and sisters are confined to the only places to live that have been left for them. Our presence has driven off the more solitary ones, the predators, that worked to keep harmony and balance within their place of living. There is a void we have created and so must responsibly fill. Whether we are gathering herbs, picking mushrooms, hunting or fishing, we need to define the difference between what we can really use and what we want to take home. Some plants live within a delicate, fragile existence while others may benefit from our use of their gifts. Some animals are in the situation to outgrow their comfortable living conditions and ruin their very place of living simply through the act of survival, they too have a gift to give. Responsible land use is the obligation of everyone that enjoys the outdoors. The impacts we make and the tracks we leave are evidence of the compassion, or the lack of it, that we have for the earth and the kinship we share with her. The sign we leave behind will show clearly the ethical standards we adhere to and our actions will make a far deeper impression than our words.
If today, we were to take a look at our winter count, who are we? What kind of path have our people followed and what have we learned along our journey? When we look beyond the confines of our own life to see what it takes for us to live, we should be grateful for all of the gifts, careful of the way we go and anxious to participate in the cycle of life.
Within the great circle of life there are many circles, big circles, little ones, circles within circles. Through the generations of mankind we have watched many of these cycles completed, cycles in the life of the earth and cycles of life on earth. We have learned a little about the awesome and wondrous diversity of life on this planet as it speeds through space on journeys we will share only a short part of. As we continue on our journey, may we learn more and become better at fulfilling our duties as the CARETAKERS.
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To be true caretakers, we need to notice, be aware of the many cycles, lives and entities that makes this world work. There are many things in the matters of nature we do not understand and never will. The secrets and the mysteries that are held in the workings of Mother Nature are vital to our humanity and our humility. By observing the world around us, from the expanses that spread out before us to the spaces between the grains of sand, Nature provides us with much more than sustenance. She gives us gratitude, inspiration and a sense of belonging and sharing. In this day, we are still a part of all things, so what has an effect on the Earth, has an effect on us. When you go out, be it some remote wilderness setting, or your backyard, absorb the energy of life around you, experience the moment and remember, you are a part of all of this. We are all members of the community of life, let us do our best to make it better.
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About the Book
The earth provides for us everything we need. In the natural realm, things have not changed since the dawn of mankind. The plant community still gives to us, food, medicine and the utilitarian aspects of survival. The animals we share our space with also have many things to give. In this fast paced world that we live in, we quite often forget where the true basics of life come from. Our habitat, our home, has not changed in the last few centuries nearly as much as our way of thinking. Our lives are comprised of so much more than just supplying the basics of food, shelter and water. We sometimes need a little taste of humility and gratitude and a sense of belonging. The earth mother gives us more than just sustenance, she also feeds our souls and our minds. We live on this planet for not much more than a moment compared to the cycles the earth goes through yet we make an impact, we leave behind the tracks of where we have journeyed, we blaze a trail for those that come later to follow. By entering back into the world of nature, gathering and planting, taking and giving back, we can remember where we came from, why we belong here, and gather some of those things that make life a gift that deserves receiving. In the natural world there is food, medicine, shelter and treasures more than we can carry. Our path is the circle of life and we share it with all life. We have traveled so far and accomplished so much yet we give back so very little. We can never give back to the earth enough to make up for life as we know it, we can only join in with life as it is.
About the Author
Jodie Boxell was born and raised in the small community of Hartford City Indiana. He was raised by parents that lived according to strict religious standards that didn’t allow their children to participate in social events. Without the usual things that kept young people entertained in the 1960s, Jodie turned to the woods that were close to his home. The outdoors became more to him than just an escape from the confinement of his parents house, it became his refuge, his release and he made friends there that would remain with him for the rest of his life.
By the time he was ten years old, he tended his own trapline, early every morning before school. At the age of thirteen, his father took him on a fly in fishing trip to Canada where he became more enthralled with the differences in the land, the length of daylight in another place and the quiet and serenity of the north woods. It was a turning point in his life and he became dedicated to learning all he could about what the earth has to offer, how he could better live with it and how he could return the favor of life. The animals, the birds, the trees, plants and even the wind became his family, his teachers and those he knew he had to learn to live with.
Jodie was given the name Medicine Walker at the Silver Bear mountain man rendezvous in 1999. He has taught survival and wilderness skills classes for many years in Colorado. He is a member of the Grand County Search & Rescue team and has a wife and children that share his respect for the earth. This book is only the continuation of a much longer journey.