On Being Nomadic – Haibun Thinking

AnElephantCant deny he gets restless
You might even describe him as a nomad
He is peripatetic
But he trusts not emetic
And his life as the Scots say is still no’ bad

AnElephant makes another indecipherable assault on this great weekly challenge hosted by his friend Al, who is still achieving wondrous things with this site.
Please take a moment to check out this page to see some superb interpretations of the Japanese Haibun, a literary form which explores the relationship between the human experience and nature.
This week AnElephant chooses as his inspiration this quote from the hippy bible, The Lord of the Rings:
“Not all those who wander are lost”
J.R.R. Tolkein (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Portland, Oregon by AnElephantCant

On Being Nomadic

Some people like to put down roots, like to feel as though they belong somewhere.
That is understandable, a fundamental element of the human condition.
It probably has its roots in the world of Moon-Watcher, the ape-man, as described in Arthur C Clarke’s magnum opus 2001: A Space Odyssey, where communal living meant greater security.
The tribal instinct is still strong in many, as shown by mass worldwide allegiance to sports teams, especially soccer, where hundreds of thousands gather each week to support their choice of heroes.

we all have weaknesses
but in our togetherness
we find strength

But there are others amongst us to whom stability is anathema.
We constantly need, and make, changes in our lives, sometimes in an apparently arbitrary fashion.
On a personal level, I move often, and without always having a tangible reason.
While arithmetic is, as my long-suffering favourite brother can confirm, no longer my strong point, I reckon that I have had twenty-three different homes in my adult life.
Admittedly, I number among the ancients, but that still approximates to two years per stay.
And I have never had a job, like the army, for example, where constant relocation was a normal by-product.
Admittedly there were, sometimes, good reasons for the considerable stress caused by moving home, but, looking back, I wonder about some of the others.
And the cost can be high, not least in personal relationships, which are often left in tatters, to the confusion of someone who does not have this wanderlust.
But the gain is also significant.
I recently spent 3 months wandering in the Pacific North West of the USA and Canada.
I was universally welcomed and met a host of wonderful people, including one very special lady.
And I have memories that I will always treasure.
So why do we, why do I, do it?
I have no explanation.
But I believe it is a search, although for what I am not sure.
Peace of soul, perhaps, which I believe, and hope, I have found here, at last.

perhaps the worry is
that when we stop looking
we also stop living