The Way of the Vagabond
At the University of Quebec was formerly the online headquarters of the Primitive Skills Group (now disappeared), an internet forum for all those interested in primitive technologies and survival -- not just "survivalists" in the usual sense, but outdoorsmen of various stripes, historical reenactors, and even scholars of anthropology. Buried deep in its archives, one may find discussion of "the Myth of the Happy Wanderer." The myth would portray the Vagabond as a "Happy Wanderer," a footloose bohemian travelling wherever his carefree spirit takes him. Members of the Primitive Skills Group knew this is not true.
The Way of the Vagabond is a hard one, far less romantic than the myth would have it. True, there are idyllic interludes: sleeping out under the stars amid glorious wilderness. But, what if that night under the stars is spent shivering on a steep canyon wall, taking care not to move lest the loose talus give way? Or what if the night is not starry, but wet and drizzly, the only shelter the base of a tree? I have lived both these nights, and others, too.
Fastball's song, "The Way," was popular in the late 1990s. It is a song about two people who set out to live the Myth of the Happy Wanderer, without considering the fact that it is a myth. The refrain says in part:
Anyone can see the road that they walk on is paved in gold.
It's always summer, they'll never get cold;
They'll never get hungry, they'll never get old and gray.
As the song says, those two fools did not know the Way. All true Vagabonds know that they will get cold, they will get hungry, and if they survive long enough, they will get old and gray. The Way of the Vagabond is not to deny these realities, nor merely to endure them, but to embrace them. To "endure" or even "accept" implies a sense of resignation to the inevitable; but I said "embrace," a far more positive outlook. I set out into the wilderness, knowing full well I may experience cold, hunger, and the effects of advancing age.
Nor is the Way of the Vagabond "an exit to eternal summer slacking," as the fools in the song thought it would be. As the last verse of the song tells us, that mistaken belief induced them to commit the crime of child abandonment -- one for which they will likely soon find themselves in prison. And then where will be their footloose, bohemian lifestyle? But even if there are no children, most Vagabonds I know, or have heard of, required some means of supporting themselves and financing their journeys. To work seasonally and travel between jobs, one must be willing to do menial, or at least low-paying, work. The best-paying careers generally leave little time for wandering. Before I woke up to the reality of my own mortality, I would work and save for a season, then travel to some far place on the money I had made -- only to end up broke and desperate. One day I realized I could not sustain this forever; for as one grows older, one finds that employers come to expect some consistency, and that the on-again, off-again work history of youth simply does not cut it anymore. Now, instead of reliving the story of the Prodigal Son over and over again, I keep long-term savings -- which I strictly refuse to tap into under any circumstances -- against the day when the years catch up with me.
Thus, the Way of the Vagabond is survival. Not "survivalism," that fringe movement of radicals who expect civilization to collapse at any moment, or else simply hate all government. Don't get me wrong -- everybody can and should learn valuable skills from the survivalists; but this does not require buying into their worldview. Survivalists generally are not Vagabonds -- rather, they tend to hide in their cabins and farmhouses, intentionally cut off from the world. The Vagabond embraces loneliness, understands the shortcomings of the so-called "individual sovereignty" of the survivalist -- which is as much a myth as the Happy Wanderer. Nor has the Vagabond any use for the fearful paranoia inherent to survivalism -- for the Vagabond life requires a certain degree of trust, and even occasional periods of dependence. The Vagabond must sometimes open up to a stranger for food, shelter, or transport, in time of need.
The Vagabond also knows that "only the strong survive" is false. One need only see the diverse ways of creatures great and small to see that brute strength is but one survival strategy of many. Sometimes, it is the fast who survive; sometimes the well-camoufaged; sometimes the clever or intelligent. Hence, the Vagabond feels no shame in running away, or hiding, if these are most likely to ensure his survival. This is not to say that the Vagabond is a coward -- just consider Abraham, who with his allies pursued and conquered the warlike kings to rescue Lot. But the Vagabond knows his priorities. Pride is not worth risking life for. Some fights are not worth getting into.
The Vagabond has a free, defiant spirit, and a healthy skepticism of authority; but she also knows when to play by the rules. Of course I often disagree with the law; but the fact is, every lawbreaker disagrees with the law he breaks -- otherwise, he would not break it. But those who enforce the law do not care whether or not you agree. They have the power to impose it on you, like it or not. I have better things on which to spend my money than fines, and better places to spend my time than jails. Every dollar, every hour, spent paying one's supposed "debt to society," is one less dollar, one less hour, available for what one really needs and wants. The wise Vagabond's strategy is to keep a low profile; the less the authority knows you are there, the less likely it is to bother you.
Finally, read any true story of adventure -- whether one of the Victorian explorers' accounts, like Bates' The Naturalist on the River Amazons, or modern-day works like Greg Child's Over the Edge. The Way of the Vagabond is dangerous. Whether fording a jungle torrent, or accosted by a drug-addicted beggar, the Vagabond is guaranteed to face danger. Can you embrace the possibility of losing your very life? To be a Vagabond, you must. I have contemplated my own demise a number of times; there have been occasions when I thought it might just be about to happen; and when my last day comes, I know my Father Above will give me the grace to embrace it with joy, even as the saints and martyrs of the past.
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