Thanks for the mention, I like your writing. I am a farmer so I am obviously very sedentary and don't venture far beyond the boundaries of my local government area, but I am not anti anywhere's.
I've found the best way to conceptualise it is the plant/animal split, and the philosophical rabbit hole that one can go down with it.
Plants are literally rooted to one place, and through that they become the base production of the whole food chain. Animals can obviously move around more freely, and therefore have more transformative power over a wider area, but they are of course dependent on plants. There does seem to be the an inverse relationship between movement and production.
Human societies are of course more similar to the moving animals originally, but it's only when they choose to root in one place and become like the plants (through agriculture) that cities take off and all the trapping of civilisation (for better and worse) come about.
Modern digital nomads are like the ultimate migratory animals, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it's more the understanding of great responsibility that comes with such freedom. And by actively taking on a more giving role (think the old missionaries, who despite what we may think now really believed they were doing Gods work, so no doubt found meaning) anywhere's may be better off mentally, rather than the usual parasitic role of the modern world.
Historically, there were always people like the gypsies and travelling ciruses that roamed across the world, but the key thing was they were a tribe that moved together, and in many ways they were (and still are) physically mobile but socially sedentary. They were also always selling things that weren't easily obtainable in sedentary places, so were welcomed and valued.
So perhaps it's the nature of he work, and the loner or family (rather than tribal) scale that is the issue with meaning, rather than the movement itself?
Agreed! But there’s a lot of 100 percent Somewheres out there at the moment, stringing fences and digging moats. High cosmopolitanism is over, sure. But people will always move and that’s it by itself a bad thing!
I enjoyed reading this but I also wonder, is it always about choice. There is also the privilege of many anywheres and the lack of choice/privilege of some/many somewheres. [and I think there may be verb missing in the Isaiah Berlin sentence]
Hi Liza, I've often included "i (and people like me) have a lot of privilege' disclaimers in a lot of my posts, but I don't add them to EVERY post. Maybe I should, it gets a little tiresome here and there — sometimes i just want to write about the thing without privilege disclaimers thrown in the middle.
Since the beginning of my married life (9 years ago), I've lived in four different places. My current home is in the US, and even though I love the fact that I can go out walking in peace -something that couldn´t be done so easily in my home country, El Salvador- I do it in complete loneliness, and I have started feeling like I don't belong. I suspect that sooner than later, we would have to decide if we should move again. I really wish I could pick a place now and stay. This article hits the nail on the head.
For me your key word is "pick"... Wondering what would be different in the place you pick from where you are now or the other places you have lived? Wishing you well.
The rest of the story is that, shortly after marrying, my wife and I decided we wanted to buy our "ideal house" in cash. So, in a way, it feels like a never-ending endeavour, since house prices have skyrocketed since that day, so our wandering has been guided more by finding a nice place --in the meantime-- than anything else. This specific place was picked mostly because it had to be near a good school for our child.
Totally relate. I was an anywhere, that had to turn into a somewhere. It is the hardest thing in the entire world for me to figure out where to stay put. I realize that I have “nothing” (community, a real job). I also realize that most people seem happier than me eventhough they have less freedom.
Thanks for the mention, I like your writing. I am a farmer so I am obviously very sedentary and don't venture far beyond the boundaries of my local government area, but I am not anti anywhere's.
I've found the best way to conceptualise it is the plant/animal split, and the philosophical rabbit hole that one can go down with it.
Plants are literally rooted to one place, and through that they become the base production of the whole food chain. Animals can obviously move around more freely, and therefore have more transformative power over a wider area, but they are of course dependent on plants. There does seem to be the an inverse relationship between movement and production.
Human societies are of course more similar to the moving animals originally, but it's only when they choose to root in one place and become like the plants (through agriculture) that cities take off and all the trapping of civilisation (for better and worse) come about.
Modern digital nomads are like the ultimate migratory animals, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it's more the understanding of great responsibility that comes with such freedom. And by actively taking on a more giving role (think the old missionaries, who despite what we may think now really believed they were doing Gods work, so no doubt found meaning) anywhere's may be better off mentally, rather than the usual parasitic role of the modern world.
Historically, there were always people like the gypsies and travelling ciruses that roamed across the world, but the key thing was they were a tribe that moved together, and in many ways they were (and still are) physically mobile but socially sedentary. They were also always selling things that weren't easily obtainable in sedentary places, so were welcomed and valued.
So perhaps it's the nature of he work, and the loner or family (rather than tribal) scale that is the issue with meaning, rather than the movement itself?
Thanks for the thoughtful reply 🙏
I think you should start writing more!
Loved this. You know the question so well—and wisely refuse to give us a simple answer.
that is probably because there is no simple answer?
Agreed! But there’s a lot of 100 percent Somewheres out there at the moment, stringing fences and digging moats. High cosmopolitanism is over, sure. But people will always move and that’s it by itself a bad thing!
This piece made me think - and cry - and continue thinking... Any idea when you might be in New Hampshire this year? :-)
I enjoyed reading this but I also wonder, is it always about choice. There is also the privilege of many anywheres and the lack of choice/privilege of some/many somewheres. [and I think there may be verb missing in the Isaiah Berlin sentence]
Hi Liza, I've often included "i (and people like me) have a lot of privilege' disclaimers in a lot of my posts, but I don't add them to EVERY post. Maybe I should, it gets a little tiresome here and there — sometimes i just want to write about the thing without privilege disclaimers thrown in the middle.
Brilliant piece.
Since the beginning of my married life (9 years ago), I've lived in four different places. My current home is in the US, and even though I love the fact that I can go out walking in peace -something that couldn´t be done so easily in my home country, El Salvador- I do it in complete loneliness, and I have started feeling like I don't belong. I suspect that sooner than later, we would have to decide if we should move again. I really wish I could pick a place now and stay. This article hits the nail on the head.
For me your key word is "pick"... Wondering what would be different in the place you pick from where you are now or the other places you have lived? Wishing you well.
The rest of the story is that, shortly after marrying, my wife and I decided we wanted to buy our "ideal house" in cash. So, in a way, it feels like a never-ending endeavour, since house prices have skyrocketed since that day, so our wandering has been guided more by finding a nice place --in the meantime-- than anything else. This specific place was picked mostly because it had to be near a good school for our child.
Totally relate. I was an anywhere, that had to turn into a somewhere. It is the hardest thing in the entire world for me to figure out where to stay put. I realize that I have “nothing” (community, a real job). I also realize that most people seem happier than me eventhough they have less freedom.