Life’s modern hectic pace is not something out of our control. We should slow down. Savor the moment. That is the aims of The Slow Movement. It’s proponents believe the most important things in life should not be rushed.Slow Down Now, a website of the Slow Movement, has this motto: multitasking is a moral weakness. Zen masters say very much the same thing. Be in the moment. Do one thing and devote your attention to it. Relax and experience the Now.

The Slow Movement is also about Slow Food. Enjoy locally grown produce and help preserve cultural cuisine and associated food plants. The food taste better, it promotes stainability, and makes us at least that much less dependant on big business farms.

Slow Movement is, ultimately, about making real connections — ones lost due to the pace and technology of modern life.

Stress is leading to unprecedented health problems. “Stop the world I want to get off” is a feeling we all have sometimes.Why is this happening? What is wrong? What are we searching for? The one thing that is common to all these trends is connection. We are searching for connection. We want connection to people - ourselves, our family, our community, our friends, - to food, to place (where we live), and to life. We want connection to all that it means to live – we want to live a connected life.

The Slow Movement seems to be the intersection of various points of interest for me: Zen, Druidry, sustainable living, and quality of life. So, it’s been a delight to discover and share with others. Now slow down, take a deep breath, and appreciate the moment.

Spanish moss hangs from nearly every tree where I live. In researching various primitive technologies, it cured to me that Spanish moss must have a bunch of uses. It does. I knew about its use as furniture stuffing, but just how good a stuffing it is really surprised me.

I found this nifty article: The Story of Spanish Moss, which told me many of the things I wanted to know. One sentence in particular got me very excited: “No known insect will attack moss fiber, eat, destroy or live within it. Moss ranks next to curled hair in resiliency. That is why it is desirable for use in upholstery.” Wow. Concerning sleeping outdoors, would a bed of Spanish moss on the ground keep ground insects away? Would a screen of moss over a hut entrance keep out mosquitoes? The possibilities are very intriguing.

I also read about Natives in Florida who wore clothes made out of the moss’ fibers. Would that also work in keeping the bugs off? If you haven’t guessed, finding natural, primitive ways of keeping the mosquitoes at bay is something of a concern to me. If you lived in South Louisiana, you’d surely understand why. It seems that if the Native Americans who lived here before we came had a solution, then we should be able to figure it out.

It has come to my attention that the Sustainable Living links I have provided were extremely sparce. There were only two, and neither actually dealt with the subject of sustainable living itself. I’m beefing up the links, and here is a rundown of the new additions.

Earthaven - I’ve linked to them a few times before because I have family that lives there. It is an “ecovillage.” That is, they seek to build a ecologically sustaiable community. They also teach sustainable living concepts to others.

Sustainable Living Network - “An informal affiliation of people in the United States and around the world who seek to deepen their understanding and practice of sustainable living.” The website offers links and information about basic definitions and principles.

Envirolink: Sustainable Living - An extensive link list organized much like Yahoo! topics.

Hollowtop Portal - The Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive Living School and associated sites. These are the sites of Thomas J. Elpel, the author of the articles I sited in my article about the Job Trap.

Primitive Ways - A site dedicated to providing information about primitive living skills. It is put together by members of the Society of Primitive Technology.

I hope these sites give you hours of inspiring reading as they have me.

Sorry I haven’t written much lately, folks. It’s not that I don’t have anything to write about. Actually, I am suffering from too much to write about. I don’t know where to begin and I sometimes feel like I’m drowning in new ideas and information. My journey into paganism has opened up so many windows for me — new ways of seeing the world. Keep in mind that I grew up as a “city boy,” with little exposure to this stuff before about two years ago. I feel like a kid in a candy store.

For example, it makes me sad to realize how childishly dependant we’ve become on our technology and affluence. I’ve been learning about primitive technology, “wilderness survival,” and the like. What I am studying right now is “wild foods.” If civilization came to a halt, many people would starve to death for lack of pre-packaged foods while they are literally surrounded by edible plants of all kinds! The amount of wild food outside my door, that I have dismissed as decorative at best and nuicance weeds at worst, is simply staggering.

I don’t have time to go into great detail, as I am leaving for a weekend family reunion, but here is a tip: do a google search for wild food and see how much information is out there.

Like many modern-day druids, I long for a simpler life, one closer to nature, but feel constrained. What keeps me from following that dream? I’ve fallen into the Job Trap.

When I read this paragraph in Thomas J. Elpel’s article, I heard my own story and predicament:

Nearly everyone I meet is too busy treading water, trying to stay afloat among the bills and debt to even think about their Dreams anymore. Like a mantra, I hear people say it over and over again: “I know I could break free if I could just make a little more money.” That idea is one of the grand illusions of the universe.

So what is the answer? Basically it is to live more simply. Conserve energy. Funny how the answer to my desire to live simply is just to live simply. It seems so elusive, yet it is right there in front of me. Reading Mr. Elpel’s article gave me much to think about. Maybe breaking free from the job trap isn’t such an impossible dream after all.

Update: Also see Mr. Elpel’s related article, Wealth & Work.