Now that my life is so prearranged, I know that it’s time for a cool change…
Little River Band
SO, WHAT IS THIS SITE ALL ABOUT?
Sometime around the late 1980s, a British sociologist by the name of Peter Laslett put together a concept model defining a series of stages in one’s life that he called the “Four Ages” These ages were defined by the conditions, expectations, and pressures that constrained (and ultimately controlled) how a person lived their life.
Stage 1: Preparation – developing knowledge, skills and abilities
Stage 2: Achievement – maintaining employment and responsibilities
Stage 3: Fulfillment – engaging in self-discovery and purpose
Stage 4: Completion – falling into dependence and decline
The deeper point of this treatise was that many people end up abbreviating (or skipping entirely) the third stage of life: The Fulfillment Age. Sadly, I’ve begun to see this happen to so many people I know and love. People who toil at work until they die on the job, or whose lives get derailed through illness or accident and never seem to find their way again, those who make it without incident to the end of their careers, but then wander aimlessly without finding purpose like a housefly trapped in an empty room. It appears that a person’s inability to enjoy the Fulfillment age of life happens for a variety of reasons: lack of health, lack of wealth, lack of preparation, and perhaps saddest of all…lack of imagination.
I find myself at a transition stage somewhere around a 2.75 on this continuum. My health is pretty good – and improving with activity, my “wealth” is certainly nothing to brag about – but I manage to live within my means, and my imagination (as you will see) is working just fine, thank you. However, my life seems to be on cruise control, and, noticeably, I’m experiencing increased opportunities to take a peek under the hood as well as over the horizon.
So, it’s high time to do what Laslett suggests: grab hold of the steering wheel and use these opportunities to prepare for an age of Fulfillment.
OK, BUT WHY IS THE WEBSITE CALLED CASCADIAN MAN?
More and more, I’m starting to believe in the sociological concept of bioregionalism: that the landscape we live in has common natural characteristics, and that the people who live together in this common landscape also share a common culture, history and way of life. A bioregion ignores political boundaries and pertains more to the natural environment. Just like wine and coffee aficionados speak of how “terrior” affects the flavor profile of their beverages, bioregions infuse us with our own unique richness.
As a bioregion, Cascadia is sort of hard to pin down with exact terms. The boundaries change and shift depending on how who you talk to chooses to draw their line in the sand. Let’s just say that the edges can be a little fuzzy. The most commonly agreed upon borders of Cascadia is the region held between the Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Rocky Mountains on the east; extending from the north in the Alaskan Panhandle, dropping through British Columbia, covering almost all of Washington and Oregon, and much of Idaho; surrounding the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and (perhaps most importantly) including the entire Frazier, Columbia, and Snake river systems.
Cascadia is where I’m from and who I am, and so this is where I’ll begin.
GREAT, NOW HOW WILL THIS ALL COME TOGETHER?
Well, I tend to think a lot about the future, and about where we are headed as a society. Much of what (I think) I know is based in science and reason. But, I sometimes color outside of the lines and I’ll end up pulling together concepts that make sense to me, but that can sound outlandish to others. Ultimately, I would like to share my ideas and musings, tune up my thinking with discussion, and meet interesting people along the way.
So, my plan is to purposefully engage in self-discovery and exploration, philosophy and wisdom, reflection and synthesis. Then, to report back and share what I find; laying down waypoints on the map for others to use in their own personal navigation, as well as for myself in order that I may return safely.
I invite you to come along. We’ll take a tour of Cascadia, and see what it looks like when you take a peek outside of the box.