Sometimes I think of something interesting, or even mind boggling and ‘bingo,’ there’s a Conservation Corner ready to happen. Sometimes it is not so easy; and this is one of those times, no ‘bingo.’

Allen and I did some traveling at the end of this summer — a road trip to Chicago and Springfield, Ill., then two weeks later we flew to Maine for a week near Acadia National Park.

We went to Illinois to pick up a mower (purchased on eBay) to pull behind a four-wheeler to mow the pastures, which meant spending hours in the car, through miles and miles of fertile land covered by corn.

I got curious and looked at maps of the historical land cover of Illinois, trying to imagine what it was like in 1830 when Abraham Lincoln’s family migrated from Kentucky to Springfield, Ill. Were Abe Lincoln’s important decisions about slavery and preservation of the Union born out of his experiences molded by the land upon which he lived? 

The 1830 Illinois topo maps show nothing but open and fertile plains, with tree covered rivers interspersed every 20 miles or so. Would the fact that a man and his family could see the next farm in the distance make that family feel more vulnerable to what happens on the far side of the fence?

To me it brings forth an image of a life that depends greatly upon a neighbor who may live five miles away, but who may also have control over your water supply, or the roads leading to market; yet you might rarely spend time with that neighbor, getting to know him and his family, because they are five miles away.

Two weeks after the Illinois trip we went to Maine, to the mountains of Bar Harbor where a neighbor might only be 200 yards away but his house is out of sight. There’s water everywhere, and an ocean full of fish to eat.

Yes, winters are very hard in Maine, but there is also an abundance of natural resources that can keep a family alive if that family has learned how to survive. The only “enemy” of sorts would be Mother Nature herself, and a wise settler can learn how to live in peace with Mother Nature. Even now, living here in a mountain cove with a spring near the house and a level spot big enough to grow food means that our family can survive [or could before nuclear weapons] regardless of what is happening with folks five miles away. And we can’t even see them, so why would we worry about what they are doing?

Can you see the rabbit hole that I’ve been falling into for the past month? We all know that our outlook on life is greatly influenced by where we grow up, and the land around us. But how does this lead to the decisions we make? Living here, in a self-sufficient little cove, has taught me that we can make do with what we have here, and that’s enough.

Could an early settler in central Illinois do the same? Is it possible that Mr. Lincoln’s commitment to keeping the Union together had as much to do with survival as ideology? Could it be that Southerners with large plantations, with control over slave labor to guarantee access to water and food, felt the frightening vulnerability if that guarantee of survival were lost?

For those of you who read this column thinking that there might be some answers within, I am sorry to disappoint you this time. I’m still thinking. And still I have come up with no answers, just more questions. If you have any answers, please let me know. I’d love to be able to move on to some different thoughts to ponder for a while. Love, Betsy