Prompt: Do you think you would have made a good caveman or cavegirl? If you do, tell us why.
I loved the patter of my little feet on the wet and rain-soaked sand, as I ran barefoot, trying to catch the drops with my hands, or with my tongue as they dripped from above.
During childhood, I loved playing in the rain and exploring the outdoors as well, so I have always regarded the elements as friends, rather than foes, and wouldn’t mind the rain and the wind and whatever else it takes to take on an adventure, in survival.
Assuming I could go back in time, to the caveman era, when humans weren't as civilized as they are now, I would simply find the lifestyle captivating and would surely have made a decent caveman.
Perhaps this is due to my brief stint with The Boy Scouts from ages 11 to 13, combined with my love for spending most of my holidays with my grandparents, in the village, as a young boy. Both experiences nurtured my appreciation for simple pleasures as they both promoted rugged lifestyle and harmony, with Nature.
One of the first things I learnt was starting a fire, using friction of two stones against each other or striking flint against steel. Fire was majorly used for cooking and as a deterrent against predators, this enabled a safe living space. It also provided warmth in cold environments and a source of illumination at nights.
Surviving in the wild takes a lot of intelligence, learning to track animals and set traps for them, that I could do since I was 12. Understanding which fruits, berries and mushrooms were safe to eat was of utmost importance. Foraging for plants was something I loved doing because I loved berries and mushrooms but knowing which to consume as safe, as some of them are unsafe and could prove to be potentially fatal, is very vital.
You must be able to identify the edible ones!
I also learnt to carry about a jack-knife, a handy tool for performing different tasks, including self protection. I could also tell the type of animal that passed through our paths by observing their tracks.
In understanding Nature and its many languages, I became one with Nature.
Becoming one with Nature, having a deep connection with it entails knowing the land, the seasons, the behavioural patterns of animals, relying basically only on one's instincts, and not on any form of technology.
It also means learning to share and be kind one to another which is a far cry of what Man has become today, his preference being to accumulate wealth, leading to huge disparity between the haves and the have-nots. I love equality and wish there wouldn't be this great divide between the rich and the poor, and man's inhumanity to man would no longer be. I love to live in harmony with the world around me, taking only what I need, and avoiding cluttering my life with things that are so unnecessary.
We brought nothing into this world, and we are leaving with nothing!
I hate the degradation going on in the environment and how it's affecting us negatively, I hate the blatant disregard for the Earth.
I often reminisce about me sitting around the fire, with others like me, after a long day of hunting or gathering, watching the starry sky and counting the stars, amidst story-telling and having a cracking time, also encouraging and fostering social bonds and communication.
We were big on exercising, sleeping well, good nutrition, sunshine, and social interaction, which have all been proven to improve mental performance and wellbeing in ways unimaginable.
People often think the caveman as primitive, but I beg to disagree. Given the time and the circumstances in which they survived and thrived, I would say that they were smarter than us, with amazing mental and survival skills. They might not be technologically advanced, but in terms of intelligence, survival skills, and adaptability, they had it, topnotch.
If we understand that the sicknesses we suffer in the world today is as a result of our bodies being used contrarily, having been custom-built, to get enough physical activity, sunshine, sleep, and nutrition and then to interact socially, but we are stuck in a world of convenience, junk foods, internet and great inactivity. I think we will thrive best if we can adopt some habits of the caveman.
Being able to survive in the wild, as a caveman requires strength, creativity, and resourcefulness, and I think I have all it takes to be that special "caveman". I am not one to shy away from challenges of any kind, whether of making tools, setting traps, or foraging for food, or even fighting off any form of threat to my territory. As an artist and a lover of art, I would love to inscribe artworks and drawings on the walls of my cave for generations to read and have an idea of their ancestry. This would also greatly enhance my creativity, knowing that I am passing on wisdom from from one generation to many others.
hereThis is my response to @galenkp's prompt
The image is mine!
I always appreciate your comments and support.