I Am a Jurassic Alien

Evolution

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The other day, Curt and I went for a shopping trip to the bustling metropolis of Grand Forks. The goal was to look around and buy some new pants. With a population of 4,000 the town recently got its first McDonald’s, has a newer Tim Hortons, however still no Walmart.

As we walked down the historic Market Ave. I stopped in front of the theatre, and that’s when it hit me. Moving from one movie poster to the next, I recognized nothing. On the final poster one actor looked familiar but that was it. I hadn’t heard of any of the movies playing, not even a little.

I stood there for a while, wondering what the plots of each film might be. I thought about which one I’d like to see first but I wanted to watch them all.

When was the last time I went to a movie?
I have no idea. Definitely before the pandemic.

Is that strange?
I don’t know the answer to that.

I wondered if I’d been spending too much time on the mountain. Have I alienated myself from society? A wave of sadness rolled over me. I love being immersed in nature, learning more every day and feeling in tune with the mountain, but is there such thing as too much?

We continued down the street, window shopping until deciding to go into a store. To my surprise, their products aligned well with my earth-loving ideals. I found well-made sustainable fabrics and functional garments. I felt slightly relieved that maybe, I hadn’t become a weird mountain person.

The next store was similar but different. In it were fashions from when I was in high school.
What a strange feeling,
I held up a pair of jeans that were exactly like the ones I had when I was 15. As I stood there in my skinny black jeggings I felt like a dinosaur. They also had very nice thick flannel shirts. I think I’ll be going back for one before winter.

The last stop was a health store. I breathed in the familiar smell as I stepped in the door and began to peruse. Checking out the various teas and tablets, I wondered what they all might be for and what I might unknowingly need.

As I came to the bulk bins, things became very familiar. I recognized the first bin of dried plant stuff to be wormwood, which is very common on my mountain. Without reading the label I knew the next, labelled Uva Ursi as what I call bearberry, another plant common to me. To my surprise I knew most of the dried plants and what their intended uses might be.

From the theatre to the clothing store, to the health food store, this was the most shopping I’d done in a long while. It was an unexpected rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions with a happy conclusion;

Though I might not be familiar with current movies or fashion trends, I realized that I’m far from estranged. Living on this mountain might be making me an alien dinosaur, but I can take solace in knowing that with each day I spend here, I’m evolving.