Spring at Moose Lodge

When you’re living in a remote place like I am, it’s easy to create your own reality. But then again, without local spin, it could be that you get clarity that otherwise wouldn’t exist. To keep your feet firmly on the ground, you need lots of data points and you need to cross reference and you need to clear out the noise. That’s the best part of rural life; no noise. I also don’t look for opposing views so I end up in the middle, I do it to make sure I have correct conclusions. Opinions and information can’t just come from one source. It’s checking my assumptions.

As I was thinking about this, I was wondering about the Russian/Ukrain war and how Putin must wake up every day now thinking about how he ended up in such a mess. There is no logic to this as an intentional act. He had major flaws in his thinking. I read recently that he has his intelligence sources, under “house arrest,” whatever that means in Russia. They also relied on Ukraine for some critical military spare parts.

Can you imagine his surprise when he thought he’d easily win in a matter of days only to have his ass handed to him? Now who does he trust? He has to be living an extremely paranoid existence from moment to moment. Especially with how he looks on the world stage, not to mention the current conditions Russia now faces. The latest news I could find, says he’s now living in a bunker. This isn’t exactly a position of confidence. All the video of him moving around or sitting at his desk looks like old video.

I think of CEOs who also create their own reality and constantly shoot the messenger. One CEO doesn’t want problems brought to him, ever. Isn’t that what got Putin in trouble? One said that he didn’t want problems unless they were tied to a solution. That’s great to say, but what if the CEO doesn’t want to hear the solution? What would happen to a general if they told Putin going into Ukraine was a bad idea? I suspect they would have been fired or possibly eliminated.

When you live in a remote spot like Moose Lodge, it’s easy to drift into your own reality. You’re far away from some of the political nonsense of big cities and the politics of of control. It’s easy to build your own story of how the world is working if you don’t dig a little deeper.

I often walk the property and think about the challenges I face, but without the noise. It’s easy to focus on my work, and to get at root causes to problems, along with workable solutions. I see no communications difference in interaction with coleagues between here in Missouri and Kirkland. People stopped getting together to talk years ago because traffic was so bad. Gone are the days of driving an hour for a 30 minute meeting. This was shifting before COVID.

I can see why some people don’t like remote life and feel the need to be in a big city. Some of it is FoMO, (Fear of Missing Out). Others feel cut off. I don’t think rural life is for everyone, especially if what others do around you matters a whole lot to you. It doesn’t to me.

I find the experience of living in a remote environment to be one of the most productive times of my entire life. I don’t contend with the noise or screaming politics of big city life. Out here, I wake up to deer watching me in the window, or a bobcat strolling by the office window. I’ve seen more wildlife in the past month than I have in years of city life, and I love every moment of it. This is my reality.

We all seek those places we can retreat, and for what purpose? We call it “reenergizing,” or “relaxing,” or “thought provoking.” We define them as “getaways” but what if we were at that getaway full time, would it remain a getaway? That’s what I’m finding out and so far, it has. Why not live and work in the very place we call a sanctuary?

I’ve never been this focused, and energized. At some point I may grow tired of life here, but I doubt it. I walk out and see stars and even satellites flying over when the light is just right. I hear the noises of birds and other wildlife, and no other sounds. Not even the sound of machinery off in the distance. Occasionally, I hear the sound of a train whistle from almost three miles away. It’s that still.

Most of all, I can dive deeper into what matters to me. I can write more, process more, and get to the core of an idea. I couldn’t do that in Kirkland very easily. It was like trying to concentrate in a loud room. It’s nice to feel like I’m now doing my best work.

In conclusion, if you’re drawn to a place where you feel you are at your best, why not give it a try and make the move and see how it works out? It did for me. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.