Forging Independence

[Geee]

National Review:


George Washington often longed for his “own vine and fig-tree.” Extending this desire to the country at large, he looked forward to the day “when everyone (under his own vine and fig-tree) shall begin to taste the fruits of freedom.” To the Marquis of Lafayette he wrote in 1784:

I am become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac, and under the shadow of my own Vine and my own Fig-tree, free from the bustle of a camp and the busy scenes of public life, I am solacing myself with those tranquil enjoyments, of which the Soldier who is ever in pursuit of fame, the Statesman whose watchful days and sleepless nights…and the Courtier who is always watching the countenance of his Prince . . . can have very little conception.

Taking to heart Socrates’ maxim that the “unexamined life is not worth living,” Washington valued time for quiet and reflection. But in our busy, distracted, and struggling lives today, we rarely have time for “tranquil enjoyments”; it can be difficult to find time to examine much beyond our daily calendars, let alone a moment to catch our breath and look inwards.


Living and working in the middle of nowhere, as I now do, is no less busy, nor is the struggle less acute — but it is certainly less distracted. Life is hard, requiring constant work and maintenance just to keep up with the ever-changing conditions. My remote cabin in the mountain woods of Colorado — at 10,000 feet, beyond a Forest Service gate, and barely on the grid — is a world of work. But it is amazing how much life examination can go on as you supervise a septic tank being installed, monitor the water system, figure out electrical wiring, and manage wildlife, trees, and 20-year-record snowfall.