Chaos, Conflict and Resilience
How to thrive during turbulent times
Complex ideas and fixing problems take time. Grab your favorite beverage and read the true story about how to be resilient in ruff times, by a rebel mind.
I owned a design-build business, managed unruly contractors and clients for many years. I learned my skills in a male dominated industry. With my hard-earned experience (!), degree in interior design, and a love of architecture, I designed my own house. World travels and studies in Europe, holistic health, soil health, landscape design and naturalist certifications helped form an organic design aesthetic. Our home transformed from a mid-Century ranch to an indoor-outdoor sanctuary. My work reflects my perspectives, and since We are Nature, everything in my life flows from that Knowing. My partner lives the same philosophy, and we are both plant-based. He also is a world traveler, speaks German as a second language, and is the kindest person I know. Don’t tell George Clooney, a woman who knows him said that Shawn is better looking. We’ve never been married, though we have been together for fifteen years, and we have no children. We are both teachers. I’m also a writer- artist, and we both enjoy our vocations, serving to help create a better world.
The highest and best socio-politics is stewardship: walk your talk, work with others, teach, learn/ grow, and help others.
My partner and I own the land that has been in his family since 1902. We moved from the Southwest to the Central U.S. for family, his teaching job at a small, private University, an opportunity to re-wild the land, and take an existing house down to the studs and re-design it. We raised the ceilings, moved walls and rooms.
We freed ourselves from a mortgage and a poorly managed Home Owners Association (HOA) - the latter kept me in collections for twelve years. We proved all of our payments, and suddenly, there was an exitus of about ten people in the HOA management company. Did you know that the origins of the word ‘mortgage’ means death pledge?
Alchemy, on many levels.
Sometimes, transformation goes smoothly. We live in times of tyranny, trauma, and technology that is rapidly changing the world. Lockdowns, shutdowns, dumb-downs and divisions have challenged our house completion. Our society and world are somewhat foreign to us as many people have lost their way.
People, breathe…be calm! Please stop making your problems everyone else’s.
In order to overcome some obstacles, my partner and I are living apart in two separate States. We are staying with our families, live out of two suitcases and boxes, and we have no idea when our house will be completed. We also have aging parents, and spending time with them is precious. We have dealt with supply chain issues, worker shortages, health and financial issues of workers with addictions, and a contractor with his own health issues, as well as his family’s challenges. Our contractor lost three family members, at least one of his sub- contractors is in jail, one is in rehab, and another one sent a few harassing texts to me for payment, even though our contractor paid him, on time. I’ll spare you the details on dealing with the revolving door of sub-contractors of our head contractor.
We ordered custom exterior doors more than two years ago and had to cancel the order when the company couldn’t deliver them because of a trucker and equipment shortage. We’ve waited years for our money to be returned. Our home renovation is in its 3rd year, still needs doors, and is not ready for occupancy.
Our patience, persistence and diligence have been tested on every level, multiple times. Patience and persistence are ethical choices, and are Religious and Spiritual teachings. Diligence keeps you going through chaos and conflict. Diligence is resilience. You must be aware and care to repair.
What’s one to do when things don’t go according to plans, and in fact, are chaotic and chronically challenged? Breathe.
10 year drought and heat event
Admist the calamity, we moved from the drought-stricken Desert to the driest Summer in the Plains in a decade. Both the soil and our hope were thirsty. We had a plan and a vision to regenerate our own farmland- literally, our greener pastures in the Central plains of the U.S. You may already know that my great-grandfather was a farmer, as was Shawn’s. I’ve been active in the environmental- political world, and was grateful to focus on re-wilding on our own land.
And then came the bulldozers and fires.
We were in a daze of dusty boxes and project delays. The forest was being bull-dozed and burnt down across the street from our new home. Another detour from our dreams. The devastation was an unpleasant surprise: an out of State Oil Company was destroying the forest to build a warehouse to store oil. We found out that my partner’s father went to a public hearing a couple of months before our move and nobody showed up, not even the leaders who scheduled it. Economic development is a game. When there are sham meetings, there’s no contest, it’s their way and they get everything. What you say, think or want doesn’t matter. Even if your land and home was established in 1902. To them, it’s 2022, and f-off. The company’s employee and a County employee told me that, “they can do whatever they want.” I wanted to say, “How about thinking of others, reciprocating with nature and her beings? Do you know that a Bald eagle lives in the forest you are killing?” But selfish and programmed people have been conditioned to think, speak and do violence. Lamestream media and Hollyweird teaches them. Wildlands has a difficult job- teach compassion, empathy, health, well-being and our connection with nature. Dealing with brainwashed people takes special skills. I have a lot of training. It takes rebel minds in ruff times to change the world for the better.
Did I mention we moved from Tu to Tu in 2022, and 2025 is coming soon?
We were in the center of chaos, conflict and resilience in turbulent times. I called the company and their attorney, local politicians, fire chiefs, State agencies, non-profits, non-government agencies, attorneys, spoke at Council meetings, and every person I knew in my new home State to no avail. The Oil Company was cited and fined by the State for air pollution during the fires (and burn bans during the extensive heat and drought).
The Company was interfering with the peace and enjoyment of our home and land. And, they didn’t care. They even placed their new warehouse driveway across from my father in law’s driveway. I offered a collaboration: I’d design the warehouse landscaping for free. Their attorney said he appreciates my work, it’s important, the right thing to do, and money talks and wins. (Door slam and phone click).
To make matters more challenging, the County line is in the middle of the road in front of our home. Governments in two Counties and several companies were pushing wildlife into a corridor to be culled. We were in a nightmare. And, not enough care. Most aren’t even aware. Many have no clue how to repair.
Down and out, we both got ill, and wanted health and for everything to be fixed and our house finished…now. We needed mature flora to create privacy and greenery. Soon there will be freight trucks, air, light and noise pollution due to new warehouse, driveways and parking lots where once was a forest and her stream. Paradise paved. The forest, wildlife and humans that care, lose…again. Nature bats last.
Wildlands supports nature’s rights, and it is time for the underdogs to thrive. The world will change overnight when more humans have the attitude of gratitude, generosity and reciprocity.
We need YOU to plant trees, wildflowers, and transform your lawns to habitats. Our world is in crises, and we need to think, act and do with compassion and empathy. A mindset that is profoundly simple and joyful, is the win-win mentality. People are taught to compete, overpower, and win. These behaviors have gotten us in terrible trouble. Nature and humans are resilient and we can fix problems, together, united.
We witnessed the death of a forest during a drought. The land where forests are being felled and farmland is being “economically developed”. An oxymoron, as there is nothing economical about killing soils and souls, or ethical about an apartheid of wildlife and nature. You are needed and we can restore soils and souls. We are nature, and we are resilient.
I Speak for Nature and All Her Beings
I speak for the trees,
the animals, seen and unseen.
The waters, air, and everything in between.
The soils and souls.
The Bald eagle in the forest knolls.
Nature and animals have rights, I’m told.
Murderous actions when one's empathy and senses are dulled.
Consider me a nature whisperer.
I speak for the finned, feathered, crawling ones and ones with the fur.
Therefore, it is my job to present you with facts.
Please consider your intelligence and your acts.
We were in a nightmare.
And, not enough care.
Most aren’t even aware.
Many have no clue how to repair.
My mission is to reduce harm-
There's sentient life in soils and on farms.
The cries are a plea to make things right,
Fix the wrongs and heal their plight.
It is Love that wins and it requires no fight.
Change starts with each of us, reciprocate for all, and to all, a good night.
Have you ever been a witness to the forests and her beings during their eradication, extirpation and extermination?
What obstacles and traumas are holding you back from accomplishing your dreams?
The better I am at solving your problems, dear friends, the better my world is, too.
Wildlands is your path to health and freedom. You are about to depart on a new journey of self-discovery, wonder, awe and bliss. Your peace is my priority. It is my piece of the work to bring peace. Wildlands shows how to rise above challenges, how you can heal and be free. Are you ready to be a healthier human?
How do you respond in times of crises, chaos, death and new beginnings?
We witness the screams and cries from the bark of the trees as they crackle in the fire, the hawks and the Bald eagle that have lost their homes, and soil beings whom rarely have a word heard. Destroyed are the mother trees, birds, deer, and other creatures, including the humans. The passers-by who treat homes and habitats as garbage dumps, toxic waste, wasteland, and every vile name and description of fear, loathing and hate.
Balance. When a tree is cut down, plant a tree.
Our efforts do not always immediately pay-off and timing is an art. Our fast-paced societies have a plethora of options that support Chronos time. We purchase products for instant gratification. Society tells us to do certain actions and get outcomes, which many times, follows logic.
Resilience must resonate with Chronos and Kairos, aka Divine timing and intuition. The Universe’s biodiverse systems have needs and natural flow…and it’s not about YOU!
My partner and I have learned how to let go of our dreams, goals, money, timing, plans, our belongings, friends, family, and even each other. In the release, there is an immense trust and freedom that accompanies letting go. Walking into and through the unknown can be very frightening, anxiety-ridden, and traumatizing. I have walked the path less traveled several times and get better at it each time. Wildlands mission is to teach complex problems and ideas and show how to fix challenges, live ethically, and is Socratic: your questions and comments are welcomed and matter! Together, we can move mountains! Read how to fix problems in Hunger and Waste and Want Health?, and my other life-changing essays. You can read also more about Kairos time, “How United Honors Freedom and Transformation”. It is up to us to trust ourselves and each other.
You can also read a wonderful essay regarding Kairos, An act of self preservation, by .
How to let go and go with the flow…
We have stayed calm and patient and we have both grown. I’ve met with every government wildlife and forest agency in our State, and contacted historical agencies because our land may have been purchased during the Homestead Act - it was a farm for several decades. I also contacted a large church behind our property that has several gardens. I asked for a meeting and a collaboration to help protect the forest and to work together on our re-wilding. Nobody was interested. In my humble opinion, they missed an opportunity.
One guy from a State wildlife and habitat agency also represented a non-profit. He said if we used pesticides and herbicides, they might give us a small amount of money for native plants. Their agreement included allowing the non-profit members to hunt sentient beings on our property. I told him we have different values and no thanks.
I felt abandoned, silenced, distanced and alone. Diligence moves you through the small deaths over and over again.
The local rep of the NRCS and State Forestry service visited our property, and both were helpful. Shawn and I had soil tests done at the local University. We planted hundreds of tree seedlings purchased from the State Forestry service and milkweeds from a grant, courtesy of Monarch Watch, and hired a landscape company to plant 5’-7’ trees and shrubs. My dream is to have a wildlife sanctuary, and leave the land as a legacy for a park. Cherokee Park. My partner is a Cherokee Physicist. And, we have paperwork signed by a U.S. President, stating, “This Cherokee land…” We have reached out to the Cherokee Nation several times to ask for a collaboration.
We can choose to be overcome by obstacles and traumas, or we can rise above the chaos, be calm and keep going. Learn more about how to deal with problems, in my essay, “How the Art and Nature of Story-Telling Heals Us.
Keep calm and keep going. Keep your eye on your goals, vision and dreams. Most things that are worthwhile take time. Focus. Patience, persistence and diligence. Let go and trust. Staying out of fear allows unexpected opportunities to appear, gives situations a chance for completion and may even turn out better than you had planned for and expected.
Food for thought for your growth. Here are some questions for inner reflections:
If you could reduce harm with one thing, what would it be?
What do you love to do?
How can you apply your love to yourself?
How can you apply your love to others?
Are you able to be a reliable source for your service?
Do you speak for nature and her beings?
Do you trust and persist when things don’t go your way?
Share your thoughts in comments, and share with your friends.
About Wildlands
Wildlands explores a variety of topics regarding our connection with nature and health and well-being. Included, is advocacy called, Love in Action, to reduce harm and increase love. I also share an occasional healthy, simple recipe.
My Guest Columnist essay was in the news and shares how you can be in the news, too!
Please share Wildlands with those who may be interested in this conversation. Your voice matters. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Here is a Love in Action challenge: help our forests:
YOU have a once in a lifetime opportunity to protect our mature and old-growth forests.
“The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of the country's forests and grasslands. But our old-growth forests have dwindled-- home to our most ancient trees and ecosystems -- to just 12% of these lands.
America's old-growth forests provide clean air, water, biodiversity and wildlife habitats, landscapes for recreation and play and cultural value to Indigenous communities. We must ensure these forests not only survive, but thrive.
Please sign the National Old-Growth Amendment, the U.S. Forest Service landmark new rule aiming to strengthen conservation measures for all 128 forest land management plans nationwide, with a primary goal of addressing the pressures old-growth forests face from human activity and climate issues. However, it needs to be strengthened: it’s missing a framework to halt logging of mature trees, which will become the old-growth forests of tomorrow.
Sign the petition to urge the U.S. Forest Service to protect America's mature and old-growth forests: Protect our old-growth forests.
Love forests? Read about The World's Oldest Forest Dating Hundreds of Millions of Years Old Has Been Found.
Here’s more Love in Action: How YOU can support Wildlands:
20% of your paid subscription goes to gardens in schools;
Wildlands is listed in ’s, The GiveBackStack Directory; and,
My artwork named 'Forest Blue' is now published at Artistonish - July 2024 magazine via Biafarin portal. Buy my ‘Forest Blue’ art, Code: AW127529480;
Buy ‘Forest Blue’ art through the Biafarin Colorium Show, Code: AW127529480;
‘Starry Night’ art at Gallerium art show, Code: EXH800361227;
‘Earth Healing’ art at Creative art show, Code: EXH752750104.
Notes: Wildlands is experiencing audio challenges. One resolved, audio will be included in the essays. All photos by Robin Motzer, All Rights Reserved.
"Thank you dear Robin
May you go from strength to strength!" from Amy E.!
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