“A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct…” –from “Manual of Maud’Dib” by Princess Irulan…the book of DUNE.
It’s been over twenty years ago since I first became fascinated with wilderness survival. I think it’s only right that a printed book set it all in motion. Written by Tom Brown, tracker and survivalist extraordinaire, the book introduced me to a world I found intriguing and in many ways surreal.
As I read (no, devoured) every book Tom Brown wrote, all my childhood years of obsessively reading everything I could find about Native American culture suddenly made sense as it merged with what I learned from his teachings.
Then add in years of martial arts training & competing and you find me where I am today. Many of the day-to-day disciplines I’ve incorporated into my life and work stem from the knowledge I’ve learned through the years.
So now you know the “beginning”– but not the “balance” part.
The flip side of the coin is that I am an artist, a right-brained random thinker–sentimental dream chaser and slightly obsessive-compulsive about organizing things. In other words, I have the same challenges, fears and struggles you have. We may even share some of the same hopes and dreams. We probably just approach each circumstance differently.
And to me, that’s what survival is all about. It’s not just knowing how to survive the elements of Mother Nature…it’s about learning how to survive everyday situations, as well.
It’s about learning how to adapt to whatever gets thrown our way. It’s about staying strong by finding inspiration in even the most mundane.
These are the topics I want to share with you. And I hope you will share your experiences and comments with everyone here, as well.
We’ll talk about surviving all kinds of situations in today’s world. We may occasionally shed a tear…but surely we will laugh, too. And mostly, we’ll inspire each other.
Being outside in nature is the most basic part of who I am. Besides gaining knowledge about wildlife, I learn lessons about who I am, and surprise myself about what I am capable of achieving. Nature continually inspires me. It is a part of all my writings, no matter the genre or subject matter. 
I haven’t heard of Tom Brown before. Does he write wilderness survival guides?
Hi Marcy – Tom Brown has written quite a few books telling about his training and life…as well as some survival guides. He also teaches wilderness training courses. An interesting fellow!
What a great job Indy! Love your post! I like the way you put this, “It’s about learning how to adapt to whatever gets thrown our way. It’s about staying strong by finding inspiration in even the most mundane.” Couldn’t have said it any better! Thank you and I look forward to your next post! 🙂
Thanks Karen! I appreciate you taking the time to read this and your kinds words – look forward to sharing more soon ~
As one right brained random thinker to another, great job on the blog. Love the theme. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, it’s all about survival, isn’t it?
Signing up for the blog now.
Well done!
Welcome aboard Prudence! Looking forward to sharing tales together. Thanks for the kind comments ~
Way to go, Indy! What a great launching pad for your blog. I look forward to reading more.
Thanks Sandy – and I’m so proud of you for posting a comment! Another techie big step for you! :0)
Hi Indy. I’m thoroughly enjoying getting to know you via your creative written words.
And the artwork/background here and on your FB page are divinely inspired! Very nice.
So nice to connect here as well – looking forward to getting to know everyone better through our posts and comments!
I love the theme of your blog, Indy. And the graphics and presentation. I look forward to reading your blogs and have subscribed. You go, right-brained random thinker sentimental dream chaser! (Love this)
Thanks Suad! I look forward to sharing thoughts here with you~
I think we are all seeking inspiration in our everyday lives. So nice to see your voice out there whispering encouragement! And if you can show me how to find the silver lining in…say…folding laundry 🙂 then I’ll be tuning in.
Thanks Kecia! So funny you should mention that…I DO have a laundry story to share…so tune in.. :0)
I learned this survival skill early on: if you can’t ever win at a particular thing, change the rules of the thing. This might be as simple as walking away. As a teenager I decided to forge my own path and get a job (changing the rules of dependency and subservience I’d been taught); as a writer I decided to self-publish for the same reason. These are just a couple of expressions of that mantra.
But hey, enough with the heavy crap! Best wishes on your blog. It looks great and has an intriguing bent. Or is just – bent. Kidding. I’ll subscribe to keep up with it.
Hi Lynne – so nice to see you here! Thanks for sharing – that’s what I hope everyone will do. I love it that we can learn from each other~
Post, Indy, post
Thanks for the encouragement Paul! :0)
Great post Indy! Congrats on your new blog 🙂
Thanks Coleen – appreciate you taking the time to read it!
Indy. Very nice start to your personal blog. Love the quote; Maud’Dib is one of my favorite characters. Add in survival books and and interest in all things Native American and you and I have a number of things in common. Love the background image you chose as well. Nice.
Lynette – so nice of you to comment on my blog. I haven’t officially “launched it” yet – so I was pleasantly surprised to find a comment already! Sounds like we do have a lot in common. I’ll be eagerly looking forward to sharing thoughts with you! Thanks so much ~