Survival of the Versatile

In both the McKibben and the Terrie reading I noticed long passages about how the settlers who made it in the Adirondacks were the ones who were versitile. They didnt settle into one occupation and dismiss the idea of learning other trades. In fact, most successful families, either used the "divide and conquer" method, or had one person who could trap animals, grow crops, fell trees, cut wood, raise a family, and play the ukulele all at once (well maybe not the last). These days, most of us will spend the vast majority of our adult lives, fine tuning one skill set, and that will work great for us. It's amazing that the first people who settled in the Adirondacks had so little and worked so hard at so many different things. We admire their resilience, and take a liking to the hippie character McKibben describes again and again because of their simplicity and experience. Perhaps, we even feel a little jealousy when we think about how each day is a new opportunity for them to "try something new", something we are told endlessly to do but cant find the time because we're tied to our nine to fives and schedules. We take camping, hunting, outdoor sports as a luxury, but for these settlers it meant surviving. Knowing that makes me respect their resilient ways and versatile skill set even more.