14 Comments
User's avatar
Lou Tamposi's avatar

Great one, Sam. Laughing to myself imagining you opening a package with a pistol. You might enjoy this: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/evolutionary-insights-by-anthropology-net/id1796608496?i=1000712590166

Sam Alaimo's avatar

Rock on, Lou, thanks for sending—I'll put this on later. Yeah, a knife is still the best (and safest) bet for most of what we need to do, though both are beautiful.

Patrick Van Horne's avatar

Lou - I was going to say, this was another great essay from Sam, but it could have been way more powerful with a video of him opening every Amazon box he gets with his pistol!

Chris DeMuth Jr's avatar

My grandfather would hand one to me when I was a young boy and growl "it's always loaded". One of my favorites: https://winklerknives.com/collections/frontpage/products/blue-ridge-hunter?variant=7291716108311 -- 4" / single sided is the max I can carry in my blue state and folders are always compromises.

Sam Alaimo's avatar

There is no greater wisdom to prime us to remain disciplined. This is a beautiful blade... the savagery is strong within it.

Kai's avatar

I try to replace the phone with paper, books and journals. It’s a massive work in progress, but it’ll be worth it eventually! This is a good reminder of our roots…

Sam Alaimo's avatar

Thank you Kai. It is extremely hard, and maybe even impossible without getting off the grid. I've done the most I could and still spend a majority of the day on a screen. But it only serves to maximize the satisfaction of ink on paper, and whatever your own passion project is.

The Radical Individualist's avatar

"With our digital tools, we are no longer strike first. We are now the ones being struck."

I never thought of it this way, but from now on, I will.

Sam Alaimo's avatar

It’s like an invisible hammer, somehow making us think we are doing the hammering. I deal with this reversal every day in my own mind. I’m grateful this resonated.

Barry Lederman, “normie”'s avatar

Good one, Sam. I like thinking out of the box, especially upon getting up in the morning.

Sam Alaimo's avatar

I appreciate it, Barry!

Baird Brightman's avatar

“Homo Habilis”. We made tools. Tools made us. We lost our tools. We lost ourselves. Thanks for illuminating a path back to ourselves, Sam.

Marshall R Peterson's avatar

I think this is a self portrait, Sam. “But a madman need not be creative, while the creative must at times be madmen.” I said this, of course, with the greatest respect.

Donald Vandergriff's avatar

That is so awesome Sam, you are a great author. Thank you. Have a great week and weekend. It is spring again.