Sometimes men just need to create something on their own

I listened to Dick Proenneke’s great book Alone in the Wilderness this weekend. What a great listen. One lesson Dick shared was that we were built to create.

“I realize that men working together can perform miracles, such as sending men to walk on the surface of the moon. There is definitely a need and a place for teamwork, but there is also a need for an individual sometime in his life to forget the world of parts and pieces and put something together on his own – complete something. He has got to create.”– Richard Proenneke, Alone in the Wilderness

What a great observation. That is one of the items that I like about the self reliant lifestyle – the desire to create and support alone or with a small support system.

If you have not read the book Alone in the Wilderness, you owe it to yourself to read it, or might I recommend the audio version.  If ever there was a better advocate for simplifying, creating, and enjoying the wilderness, it has to be Dick Proenneke.  His exuberance and excitement is contagious and speaks more clearly as life becomes more complicated.