So said Dick Proenneke in his film series, Alone in the Wilderness (PBS). He filmed himself building a log cabin in the wilds of Alaska, from felling the trees to making his bed. In between he would roam with his cameras and film the wildlife. On rainy days he would cut and roll empty tin cans and drums into bread pans and flour scoops. Needless to say, he made his own sourdough bread. He learned his skills in the Navy. When you need something on a ship in the middle of the ocean, you make it. Can we think of this earth as a ship in the middle of an ocean? Can we remember when we want to declutter our lives, toss away unwanted things and people, that there is no “away”?
There’s a city in China I visited called Wuxi, “no tin”, and I was never sure if no tin was a virtue or a shortcoming. I too have no tin. I will settle for pen and paper, thoughts and words. On the cusp of winter and spring, I will push to finish some works, and push harder to start new ones.