Wilderness Civilization?
Always arriving back from trail, I have this phrase or saying I convey to my guests –
"Welcome back to civilization". This is after a 3 night, 2 day wilderness experience.
On a morning arriving back at the main rest camp I conveyed the same old message
that became stuck in my head the past four years. I never gave the word "civilization"
much thought in that phrase until a lady, politely brought it to my attention: "But we
just came from "civilization"?"
What did she mean?
Oxford says "civilization" is, 1) an advanced stage or system of human social
development 2) the process of achieving this 3) a civilized nation or area.
"Civilize" is to bring to an advanced stage of social development and "civilized" is
polite and good mannered.
To the definition my phrasing seems to be more correct and at that specific point in
time, but her statement must have been emotionally driven. This happens when
you’ve had a fantastic wilderness experience. I’ve seen it many times. Remember, we
were out in the sticks – wilderness in a pristine and wild form – "uncivilized" and
"inhospitable", according to oxford.
I’ll try and give a definition/explanation of the word "civilization" in the context that
she used it:
I guess she meant the whole package of being out in the wilderness was a more
natural and peaceful experience than to be back in real-time "civilization" - filled with
the hustle and bustle of a fast paced existence, pollution, politics and violence - It was
an emotional statement.
Although it was an emotional statement, there might be some actual truth in it.
Wandering about in the Wolhuter Wilderness Trails section a couple of weeks ago
shortly after this regions first decent downpour, I witnessed a simple thing, one of
nature’s miracles, a phenomenon observed every year after the first good rains.
Termite royalty takes to flight. Each winged male or female is a potential king or
queen; they pair up after a short flight and dig the first royal chamber. A new
community is born. Soon the new termitaria will be a hustle and bustle of activity.
Workers constantly concerned with maintaining the nest structure, cleaning, building,
looking after the well being of the queen mother and her numerous new offspring.
Soldiers scurrying around to protect the queen, workers and the nest itself from
intruders of all sorts. Observe the colony for a while and you’ll see the hastily
movement of hundreds of thousands of termites like people in the streets of New
York. It seems to be indeed a fast paced existence.
Johan Enslin, 26 November 2005
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The termite, crocodile, fish eagle, elephant and baobab, all are complexed creatures.
No living organism is simple. All have a complex social structure.
It might be that all living organisms in their own right can be viewed as if in their own
advance stage or system of social development and in the process of achieving this,
as all living organisms including Homo sapiens evolve. This evolution in all living
organisms might be seen as the process of achieving an advanced stage or system of
social development in order to survive more effectively in their respective
environments. It’s all about survival.
Therefore is it absurd that a creature such as the termite might be called a civilized
species in it’s own right occupying a civilized area/region. Who knows, they might
even be polite and good mannered. Or maybe an addition of a new word should be
made in Oxford to describe nature’s form/variety of civilization.
Maybe nature is civilized - maybe more so than we are. We have, unlike animals, the
frustrating ability to constantly think, to ponder on past, present and future, which at
times result in catastrophe, having a detrimental effect on our own race, whereas
animals live in the "now" and can go through millennia without destroying itself.
"Wilderness Civilization" is an interesting paradox. Modern man in his modern ways
and moral standards come to the wilderness to find peace and spiritual healing away
from "civilization" and yet when he enters a wilderness region he experience an
emotional sensation of a "wilderness civilization", leaving the "civilized wilderness"
behind.
Now, after a couple of days in wilderness, I welcome my guests back to civilization but
almost apologetic, as I know we probably just left it.
Greetings
Johan Enslin
Wilderness Trails Ranger
Kruger National Park
26 November 2005
Johan Enslin, 26 November 2005