That one, too. She also referred to that one a lot, and that’s where I got my name: Samuel. Samuel, a permanent emblem of God’s work and his plan for us all. God, the bringer of hope and redemption, the creator of a now-wasted world and misery.
Oh, how I wish I could go back. The past is great from all accounts I’ve read. Hot water at the turn of a knob, entire buildings stocked with food, and daily routines! People used to be able to have the comfort of knowing exactly what was going to happen to them during the day and what their role was. These days, depending on the potential threat, it shifts from
forager to cook to doctor to warrior to guard. That’s where I am right now, watching the woods from our makeshift post in an old, abandoned house. I’ve read the stories of when wars used to be between people for luxuries like freedom and land. These days, our fighting sometimes gives
us the luxury of a full night’s sleep. It’s not that our nomadic lifestyle is that bad, but it’s knowing that things used to be different that makes me regret living now instead of a hundred years ago. Can you imagine people used to worry about money? Money! I’d kill to have those kinds of worries. I could easily work nine hours a day, come home and make a nice, hot meal, sit around and watch television or just do anything (anything!) and then sleep for another nine hours. When was the last time I was able to do anything without it having a purpose? When was the last time I had six hours of sleep, let alone nine? When was the last time I was able to play? When was the last time I was able to relax? Relax...what a concept.
Sit around and do nothing and let your mind rejuvenate your body. The closest thing we have to that is this guard duty, and even that is fraught with terror. It’s those times when you’re not harvesting food or trying to sleep or taking care of someone who’s sick or burying your friends that you really need to let your mind wander.
I’ve seen nothing all day, which isn’t out of the norm, but I have heard branches cracking. We can hold out hope that it’s a deer, but I think we’ve hunted this area dry. Fresh meat was too alluring to ration over the canned food mainstays. They had time to make a surplus of food and
put it in cans and make it keep for decades! Of this I’m thankful. I can’t believe people used to actually have enough food that they would throw it out if they didn’t like the taste of it. Was that prosperity or was it greed? I’ll take being known to the future generations as greedy if it means I have an unlimited supply of food.
Oh, how I wish I could go back. The past is great from all accounts I’ve read. Hot water at the turn of a knob, entire buildings stocked with food, and daily routines! People used to be able to have the comfort of knowing exactly what was going to happen to them during the day and what their role was. These days, depending on the potential threat, it shifts from
forager to cook to doctor to warrior to guard. That’s where I am right now, watching the woods from our makeshift post in an old, abandoned house. I’ve read the stories of when wars used to be between people for luxuries like freedom and land. These days, our fighting sometimes gives
us the luxury of a full night’s sleep. It’s not that our nomadic lifestyle is that bad, but it’s knowing that things used to be different that makes me regret living now instead of a hundred years ago. Can you imagine people used to worry about money? Money! I’d kill to have those kinds of worries. I could easily work nine hours a day, come home and make a nice, hot meal, sit around and watch television or just do anything (anything!) and then sleep for another nine hours. When was the last time I was able to do anything without it having a purpose? When was the last time I had six hours of sleep, let alone nine? When was the last time I was able to play? When was the last time I was able to relax? Relax...what a concept.
Sit around and do nothing and let your mind rejuvenate your body. The closest thing we have to that is this guard duty, and even that is fraught with terror. It’s those times when you’re not harvesting food or trying to sleep or taking care of someone who’s sick or burying your friends that you really need to let your mind wander.
I’ve seen nothing all day, which isn’t out of the norm, but I have heard branches cracking. We can hold out hope that it’s a deer, but I think we’ve hunted this area dry. Fresh meat was too alluring to ration over the canned food mainstays. They had time to make a surplus of food and
put it in cans and make it keep for decades! Of this I’m thankful. I can’t believe people used to actually have enough food that they would throw it out if they didn’t like the taste of it. Was that prosperity or was it greed? I’ll take being known to the future generations as greedy if it means I have an unlimited supply of food.
