Days 352-353 – 5/10-11/12 – Immediate Return

Medford to Princeton; Distance = 39 Miles; People Met = 15

Photos at the end.

The good folks of New Jersey, like many good folks before them, continue to wish us to “Be safe!” to which I respond with “and we’ll be happy!” The distinction between “be safe” and “be happy” derives in part from the distinction between civilized and natural humanity. There’s an emphasis on delayed gratification in civilized society. I recall my college textbooks referring to delayed gratification as a virtue; the enlightened pursuit of the better educated and disciplined. The point of delayed gratification is to be financially secure with the quantities of life.

Early nomads, “primitives” in accordance with Enlightenment philosophy, pursued an immediate return on the quality of life. The high quality of early nomadic life was characterized by lack of want (since they only wanted the essentials), high sociability and about twice the amount of leisure of civilized humanity. In other words, immediate return societies focused on happiness and were low on stress. They also lived longer than the inaccuracies of Paleolithic dating indicated. They certainly lived longer than those in developing countries of the civilized world, as one might imagine from a stress free life, but I guess it serves the purpose of some civilized institutions to lead us to believe that “primitive” humans only lived into their thirties.

No matter. New Jersey, as with everywhere else, abounds with kindness. People want to be happy and kind in the present even as our society persuades them to focus on security for the future. The past two nights were spent first at Timberland Lake Campground, compliments of the owners, then at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton. Ky arrived at the church in time for one of the three community meals they offer each week, and they prepared meals for Cindy and me to enjoy when we arrived later in the evening.