The author likes tigers. I grew up at a time and in a place
where there were tigers, I saw tigers in the wild. The first time was
when I was about eight. We were on vacation, I was on a pony that
dumped me further into the woods. I saw a tiger. Yes, quite
possible, then and there. As I remember it: “I saw the tiger,
and the tiger saw me; and the tiger smiled.” After some
breathless heatbeats
the tiger disappeared, as tigers and many other wild animals can. I
walked back to our vacation house in a daze of glory. Tiger is
for me what totem animals are for Native Americans. In Hawai’i
families sometimes have a family animal, ‘aumakua -- but, of
course, there
are no tigers in Hawai’i. (There is one white tiger in a small
zoo on this island -- such a sad place. I visited this tiger but once).
I write about Nature and "all my relations," as native Americans say.
All the beings and aspects of this planet that I relate to: The
feathered people, the four footeds, the two legged people; trees,
plants; weeds; storms, sunshine, wind, rain.
I write about people I have learned from, people I admire.
And about animals and plants that I learn from. About the
beauty of the chaos that is Nature, its iinfinite interactions: everything is related to everything else.
And sometimes I write to remind us that WHAT THERE IS IS ALL THERE IS.
My stories are who I am.
You want statistics, mileposts? Born here, lived there, worked
somewhere else, married, children (grandchildren, great grandchildren), degrees, appointments,
disappointments. Yes, all of that, of course -- I'm old. I am a
human who belongs to the planet, to Nature more than to
Man’s world. I’ve had a wonderfully exciting life, traveled
a lot, lived in many different countries. Speak a few languages --
which is essential, I think, in order to be able to understand more than one point of view.
As I age I feel more and more attracted to, obsessed by, "simple."
Doing without rather than aquiring more.
The world of Man is not simple.
This world we made for and by ourselves has
become ever more destructive because we assumed ourselves the owners of
this planet. We aren't, of course. We are as much part of the planetary
ecoology as a flea. But we have power, we use force. And with that
force we are abusing the planet, our only home. Now, in 2008, I cannot
see how we could
prevent our man-made house of cards to crash.
I know, you don’t want to hear that.
Yes, I have hope. Ultimately, our species -- because that is what it is
about, not me or you personally -- may survive, finding itself in a new
Nature. And I fully expect that we will rediscover
talents and abilities we have always had, but that have been
brainwashed out of us by our current so-called civilization.
And that, my friends, is what I write about.
The Big Island, called Hawai'i, July 2008.
If you want to get in touch, you can email me, address it to ....... my first name (at) wildwolff.com