Thursday Evening

It was a truly wonderful evening as I sat back and listened to Wade Davis' presentation at the Stroud Water Research Center. It was catered by the amazing Talula's Table. Because my picture of Wade Davis didn't work out I had to resort to a picture of the flowers that decorated the Center.

Wade Davis is a noted Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author and photographer whose work has focused on worldwide indigenous cultures, especially in North and South America and particularly involving the traditional uses and beliefs associated with psychoactive plants. Davis is also a National Geographic Explorer and tonight he talked about his adventures in Tibet, South America, & Haiti, among other places.

He had pointed out that individual perspective is extraordinarily diverse when contemplating human existence on this planet. For instance, the tribal leaders in one South American Tribe considered themselves as Elder Brothers and dismiss the rest of us larger populations, those responsible for the destruction of the planet (global climate change, deforestation, over development of the land, etc.) as the younger brothers, the ones who act without wisdom and careful deliberation. After the presentation and as he prepared to leave, I asked him how he balances or integrates the information & the wisdom he accrues from meeting such amazing indigenous people with his family life. How does he use this knowledge to guide his children? "No one is perfect and that includes me.", he simply responded. He wishes he could spend more time with his children, and is working on that, but otherwise it's just one day at a time when tackling parenthood. It's probably fair to say, just sharing his adventures must open his children's minds to interpreting the world they live in. Giving them a global view.

If you'd like to check out what this guy had to say please see Wade Davis on TED.com:

TED Talks: Wade Davis on endangered cultures at TED in 2003
TED Talks: Wade Davis on the worldwide web of belief and ritual at TED in 2008