i find this lifestyle more and more appealing:

[www.idahostatesman.com]

david

Fascinating story...It really is important to learn to be self-sufficient. I am a lifelong resident of a suburb who has only grown sprouts successfully. I would like to emulate some of his behaviors.

What really threw me for a loop, though, was the renting out of the caves. How did he advertise--Craigslist? LOL

I found this man's story profoundly sad. Yes, he was self-sufficient and that's admirable, but he seems to have lived this life out of an impetus to evade humanity. I find the thought of living Mr. Zimmerman's life awfully beguiling. On the other hand, I think the compulsion to fully disconnect should be resisted, or at least moderated so that it doesn't become extreme. There's a fine line between being self-sufficient and being a solipsist--no man is an island. Sorry if this post is a bummer, dvdai : )



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2010 02:52PM by Tamukha.

I found the story sad too. On more than one level. It's sad that any of us feel the need to disconnect with society. It's sad that we're such a sick culture. It's sad that the values of self sufficiency, tolerable useage of resources and simplicity are so usual that the end up being newsworthy.

I admire his drive to live his own lifestyle no matter what but I want the way I live to be something that it's possible to incorporate into the larger stream of how things are done. I don't want to be a freak in this, I want my values shared by my people. Not an uncommon theme, I know.

Do you think he felt sad? He chose this lifestyle, I'm assuming.

david

Eh, it's impossible to say whether he felt sad, without having known him or without knowing his friends. If he chose his lifestyle freely, from a variety of possible choices, then he must have been very happy. I'd say that from the article, he sounded like a contented person. Maybe that's good enough? I am probably inferring a great deal from the description of his earlier life in assuming that he may have become a loner because of early and frequent disappointments in his relations with people in his life. If that was the case, that is sad. If you have had basically positive experiences with society, and rationally decide that you want to opt out of its trappings because they aren't necessary to your happiness, then that's great, especially if you can still relate to everyone else's circumstances. I don't know if Mr. Zimmerman was renouncing the known world the way someone entering the Buddhist monastery does, you know? In any case, he seems to have been liked and respected, which says a lot.

dvdai Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i find this lifestyle more and more appealing:
Thanks for the interesting story of 'Dugout Dick', as
he was known. He wasn't as much of a Hermit, or Recluse, as it
appears on the surface. He rented some of the Caves to travelers,
and drove into town in an old pickup truck, never going more than
35 mph.
We all do it our own way. Show Compassion for all.....WY

maybe he isn't happy all the time
nor sad all the time

maybe its just the same as in city life
sometimes you are happy and buzzing with everyone
sometimes u feel sad

maybe in nature
u feel happy happily absorbed with all the powerful vibes sights sounds smells feel etc. vibing beautifully

then at other times, sad cuz tis a different kind of conversation u get with plants and ants than with other people

maybe it oscillates
just like it does for everybuddy

If one find this story sad it's about them not him. There was no sadness in his story or in anything he said or did, just what you create.

Because someone is alone doesn't automatically make their life sad, lonely or unfortunate. We're taught mostly all the wrong things about how to live so it's great for anyone who figures out another way. That actually makes them better than us, not worse.

"I have everything here," he said. "I got lots of rocks and rubber tires. I have plenty of straw and fruit and vegetables, my dog and my cats and my guitars. I make wine to cook with. There's nothing I really need."

Seriously what part of that is bad?? Nothing. It may not work for you. Having to depend on people the way most of us do isn't so great either. While I agree that love and relationships are really the main important things in life, the way that manifests may not always be typical for everyone. It also may not always be a choice. Some people are meant for a different path; one that works better for them.

Simple Raw Recipes & Health Tips

He might have had something like Schizotypal personality disorder.

While I'd love to be more independent, I still need my peeps. Even when I don't always agree with their philosophies.

My best friend espouses a lifestyle that could not be more different than my own. She's scathingly critical of the whole environmental movement, the simplicity movement, veganism, etc. But she's been more supportive than anyone barring my parents.

arugula Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ......... But she's been
> more supportive than anyone barring my parents.
You are very fortunate to have understanding Parents.
My Mother freaks-out whenever I tell her something. If one can't
find it from without, it must be found within....dig deep....WY

Yes, WY, I got lucky with my parents in some ways, childhood and adolescence were happy. But my mom died 24 years ago and my dad has Alzheimer's now, he declines a little bit more each time I see him. I wish I could help him to last longer! He is 82 now.

A video of Dugout Dick filmed around 1985. Interesting stuff.

[www.youtube.com]

I can understand why someone would want to be alone and isolated from society, but ultimately I disagree with it. I think our challenge is to stay within society and work to transform it. That doesn't mean one needs to constantly be in the belly of the beast, but to leave it entirely and permanently represents a giving up on humankind that I don't think is right, and doesn't contribute to saving the planet. Also, most people don't have the privilege and ability to make that choice. Instead of running from it, let's take the more challenging course of a higher calling, both spiritually and politically.

I dunno, I think his leaving society had more of a transformative effect on society than my staying in it ever will. I mean, nobody is writing any articles about me and my backyard composter...

Well, among Orthodox Christians, this type of life is not that rare. Quite a few of well known Christians whose teachings and writings are a part of Orthodox tradition lived this way. Some of the remote monasteries were built using a natural cave as a foundation.
We cannot judge anyone. I think he just sensed that this is the right way to live, and did not contemplate too much about it. If you compare his life to homeless people in the city, he lived much better, didn't he? Also, compared with lives of a lot of us city dwellers, he may have had a much more fulfilling life, in a close contact with nature (and God to some of us). I do think that people are in essence social creatures, but some of us may be a little different than most of us. Nothing wrong with that.

A friend of mine sent me this article about Richard Zimmerman. I thought some of you might be interested.....WY

[www.hispanicbusiness.com]