We all are programmed to respond to line of sight.  For example, I am on a hike in the high deserts of New Mexico and I see the destination structure flickering in the heat in the distance.  I know that in that house are cold refreshments, and shade from the hot sun.  But, for the moment, my trail and map point west,  when my goal is visually obviously due south.  Line of sight wins the day and I cut cross country across the desert asking why it never occurred the map makers to buy a one dollar ruler and draw a straight line from my current position to that house saving me five hours.  Arroyos are deep sheer cuts in the land surface caused by rushing water and they are composed of mud, sand, water and rock so they can be very difficult to cross.  They are often invisible to line of sight. In going off map what I don’t know about the desert is there are four deep arroyos in  between the destination and myself.  Following line of sight I arrive at the house 12 hours later, not 5, in the dark, and dangerously dehydrated. The map makers made the map on the advise of the experienced reality based trail makers.  I was an idiot.

And so, I am afraid is this current administration of politicians thinking line of sight is the reality. The wars, the world’s adverse reaction, the deaths on American streets, the runaway cost of living, the anger and pessimism of American citizens are all symptoms of the metaphoric arroyos between this President and his line of sight aspirations. Billionaires almost always make bad leaders in a democracy because the smothering protection of wealth kills both imagination real life experience. They, and only they, can fly in luxury helicoptors and planes over the arroyos that the people they serve must work around or directly traverse.   This administration composed of mega wealth however is mired down in a global landscape they can’t really understand. As every explorer already knows not even the map is the reality of a journey.  Certainly politics is ‘no country for old billionaires’.  But here we are.

Modest Proposal for Good

When it comes to wilderness what you see in your line of sight is not necessarily what you get.  When you hire a wilderness guide hire someone who has walked and experienced the wilderness. When you vote for a president vote for someone who has lived the pain, loss, as daily satisfactions of a life you yourself could live happily without having more than you need. Vote for someone who knows the map and hard challenges of off-map cross country which is the character of nearly everyone’s life in a democracy. That person of real experience can credibly lead you line of sight and off map as the need arises but won’t throw you into a crisis he or she can’t manage. Voting for reality based life experience in your candidates would be good. The humble arroyos can kill you.