Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 11, 2021

Mountain Views News Saturday, December 11, 2021 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 



UNUSUAL QUESTIONS 

[Nyerges is the author of “Self-Sufficient Home,” “Extreme Simplicity,” “How to Survive Anywhere,” 
and other books. He can be reached at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.] 

I occasionally meet some very unusual people. Once, after I had given a lecture about the 
native uses of wild plants, a man stood by and began to chat with me. I’d never met him 
before. He declared that he knew I was “Illuminati” because he said I never used money. 

“Who told you that?” I asked him. 

“You eat wild foods so you don’t have to buy food. And you bicycle so you don’t pay for fuel,” he declared, 
as if he was in on some deep secret. 

I began to laugh because what he was saying was ludicrous, and since I’d never met that man before, he 
couldn’t have known anything about me except the occasional tidbits that he’d read in the paper. 

“How do you think I got here?” I asked the stranger. “I didn’t bicycle. It’s too far, plus look at all the supplies 
I brought with me.” I pointed with my hand to the table of books and plants and various sandals and brushes 
I’d made from yucca leaves. 

He looked skeptical. “I know you’re part of a group that works outside the system,” he told me, knowingly. 

“Really?” I responded. “What group is that? I wish I could live without money. Maybe the Illuminati can 
start providing me with money,” I declared, hoping that by making this a joke, the man would just go away. 
I could tell he was not convinced, and that he believed something about me, or heard something about me, 
that made him think that I could maneuver through daily life without the necessity of money. 

I wanted to pack everything up and depart, but didn’t want to just ignore the man. “Do you really believe that 
there is a group called the Illuminati, living somewhere?” I asked him. 

“Yes, of course,” he replied. 

“Well, whoever they are, don’t you think they eat food? Don’t you think they have to buy food like everyone 
else?” I paused to let that sink in. 

“And if they manage to operate outside of the system, without the need for money, then they’re probably 
living in some remote forest, or island, where they produce everything they need. How else could they not 
use money?” 

“Oh,” the man said, ponderingly. 

“Anyway, I’m not Illuminati – whatever that is – but thank you for thinking I was,” and I departed as the man 
smiled and shook my hand. 

Another time in a similar situation, a young girl asked me what I thought we should do about all the people 
who are ruining the world. 

“What people are you referring to?” I asked, even while I knew in my heart that I also don’t like people ruining 
the world. 

“You know, everyone polluting, polluting the landscape, paving over the wild areas.” 

“Oh,” I said. “I can see how you feel.” Then, I paused for just a bit because I wanted to make a point without 
actually disagreeing with her. 

“Do you live in a house?” I asked her. 

“Yes, of course,” she replied. 

“What was there on that land before your house was there? Didn’t that land have to get cleared or paved so 
you could have a place to live?”
“Well, yes,” she replied. “But I still like to see wild areas left untouched.” 

“Yes, so do I,” I replied. “And do you wear clothes, and buy appliances, and food, and things that you need?” 

“Of course,” she said, wondering where I was going with that. 

“So, do you track what happens to all the wrappers and boxes and plastic after you’ve discarded things?” 

“Oh, we recycle at home,” she proudly declared. 

“Yes, that’s good,” I said. “So do I. But you probably don’t and can’t recycle everything. In other words, every 
single time we buy anything, it had to be manufactured, somewhere, and that often meant industrial pollution. 
And since we don’t recycle everything we use, lots goes into the landfill, using up otherwise beautiful 
land to store trash.” 

“Oh,” she said. By then a few adults were listening, and one spoke up, telling me I was being a bit hard on 
the young girl. “OK,” I said to the adult, “I’ll offer some positive ideas. I’m actually very much on her side. I 
regard myself as an environmentalist too.” 

I turned to the girl and told her that I try to always buy from yard sales and thrift stores, where possible, 
because that way I’m not creating new trash from the manufacturing cycle. I use things up, and I fix things 
when they break. But the biggest thing I try to do is to not get into a habit of acquiring useless trinkets that 
clutter up my life. I like being a minimalist. It’s amazing how well you can live when your life and your living 
space is not cluttered up with piles of things that you really don’t need. 

“Everyone likes and wants all the toys and technologies that our modern society produces, and just about 
everyone hates the trash and pollution, forgetting that we’re part of the problem. One solution is to just use 
less, and live lightly.” By now, the few adults standing around had gotten into the conversation and were all 
sharing positive solutions with the girl, which was good. My goal was to get her into a state of mind where 
she chooses to lives a life that is less impactful on the environment, and get out of the habit of blaming others 
for the woes of our world. 

Those are just two examples of interesting people I’ve met in the last few years. 

STAY SAFE! 
GET VACCINATED! 

WEAR A MASK! 


SIMPLY “SIMON” 

Do you love the Siamese 
breed, with their stunning 
blue eyes? Or do 
you just want a big boy 
who loves the simple 
things in life--getting 
pet, nap-ping, basking 
in a sunny window, but 
who also has a play


ful streak? Then Simon, age 6, is the cat for you! (Yes, 
this big boy is playful, per-haps catching up on the kittenhood 
that he never had, being abandoned at a very 
young age to the streets). He's very trusting of people 
and somewhat of a big baby! He is FIV+ but needs no 
meds, a condition easi-ly managed as long as he is kept 
indoors. Simon would make a wonder-ful pet for almost 
any adult or maybe with very gentle, older children. He 
should be an only pet. Seal Point Siamese cats have very 
dark, almost black, seal-brown points, with facial mask, ears, tail, paws, nose leather and paw 
pads all in the same dark brown color--spectacular! Just submit your application at Lifeline 
for Pets, www.lifelineforpets.org, where you can see more pictures of Simon and his video on 
our Adult Cats page. 


Pet of the Week

 Eight-year-old Betty is a beautiful dog who enjoysgetting attention from her favorite people, and wouldlove to sleep next to you on the bed. Betty can be a littleshy with new people, so she needs an adopter who will lether go at her own pace and provide her with a calm andquiet environment. She would do best in a home withoutother dogs and without very many visitors, so she wouldbe a great dog for an introvert who wants a furry bestfriend!

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptionsinclude spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriatevaccines.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-andwellness 
exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as agoody bag filled with information about how to care for 
your pet.

 
View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment atpasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoptionappointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email. 


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