“Hamnet” is far and away one of the best movies I have ever seen. At the very beginning, I was struck by the sight of Agnes (Shakespeaar’s future wife) curled up in a fetal position, intertwined with vibrant tree roots.
The image symbolized to me how we, as living beings, are intimately interconnected with Mother Nature. It also reminded me of the wonderful books by Suzanne Simard, reminding us of the wisdom trees possess: how they nurture younger trees through a “wood wide web” of fungi and share nutrients with sick or struggling trees.
The movie depicts how humankind used to live: rooted in the earth like trees, nurtured by mutually rewarding day-to-day interactions with one another. Sadly, that ancient evolutionary tradition has been taken over by machine-created algorithms orchestrating a dog-eat-dog world ruled by naked transactionalism, personified by Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies and Silicon Valley tycoons.
Next, while still basking in the warm afterglow of Hamnet, I was dumbstruck to read in the New York Times how Dubai has been thriving by doing the opposite.
The wealthy individuals who move to Dubai have isolated themselves from the pressing issues of the day by severing ties with their past. Instead of honoring their culture and history, they choose to become blank slates, the better to promote the exchange of capital.
But that carefree existence came to a screeching halt when Iran attacked Dubai in the current war, dashing their dream of staying above the fray. As the Times piece makes clear, Dubai’s rash experiment represents a sharp break with the past:
“For most of human history, people lived and worked in the same place … They transform, rebuild after fires and disasters and become richer and sometimes poorer, but they draw their resilience from their rootedness, the fact that people feel they belong there. To say “I am a New Yorker” or a Londoner … is not just a map. It conveys a deep sense of history, belonging and meaning, a personal identity, not just a transaction.”
The author, Richard Florida, emphasizes a crucial point: We have lost sight of the fact that being rooted is essential to our identity. That’s what makes our modern era, of drifting above history, so troubling.
The ultra-rich in Dubai distract themselves from what is really real, flitting around the world, pleasuring their senses, and lusting after material comforts. Sadly, by distracting themselves from digging into a rooted life in the messy present, they miss out on the true essence of what human existence is all about.
We do the same here in America, but on a different scale: we distract ourselves by binge-watching the latest hit series, become zombies from our addiction to social media, and wear ourselves out shopping until we drop.
When will we ever learn?
I firmly believe that what uniquely defines us as human beings — the essence of who we are — is our rootedness. When we are born, we are floating, amorphous islands, yearning to be attached to the mainland. We become truly human in the same way a sperm fastens itself to the egg, by attaching ourselves to our physical surroundings (our sense of place) through our daily, intimate interactions with fellow community members. Being neighborly is our sacred path, just as it is for trees.
Jean Stimmell, retired stone mason and psychotherapist, lives in Northwood and blogs at jstim.substack.com.