jeff

I ran in to Jeff leaving Jen’s yesterday at the Nurture through Nature retreat center and asked if I could come by today to take his picture. Jeff has not consumed anything but water for about eight days. When I met him he was writing lyrics in a journal on the front porch of the little cabin he’s staying in. At NTN he goes for daily walks to soak his feet in a nearby brook, reads, and writes. Talking to Jeff was wildly interesting. Even though we spoke for over an hour describing him by a single profession or placing him in a particular box will be an extremely difficult task. He’s an intellectual renaissance man and rebel – a musician, comic, and nutritionist. Jeff is an advocate of regenerative farming, does not drink, does not smoke, and generally does not eat food that comes in packaging. He is well read and curious, direct and inquisitive, unconventional and bold.

When Jeff was seven his parents split. He describes his childhood as typical and suburban. Jeff was bullied in high school and took refuge in the world of music. When Jeff was in his early twenties he went on national tour with a band. Starting in his teens, over the next decade he consumed a significant amount substances which over time negatively impacted his health: “You can only live on pizza and cocaine for so long.” He talked about his thirties being a decade of untangling some of the damage he had done in his twenties by way of becoming a student of improving his habits, mental, and physical health.

We talked about missed opportunities, literature, and hunting. Procrastination, vulnerability, and creativity. Power, language, and art. Jeff used several words I didn’t know and defined them with ease. Even though he hasn’t eaten in over a week and was feeling a bit dizzy he was quick, thoughtful, and never ran out of steam. He webbed long complex thoughts together, pausing as needed, to make clear and eloquent points about a huge variety of topics. His advice is to eat meat, workout, and get sleep. He starts each morning by getting sunlight and going for walks to loosen up his body for the day.

[62] July 13, 2021