Kalgoorlie Miner: (2) Forest-Desert

Are you a forest person or a desert person?

I am a certified desert person, both literally and metaphorically, and this characteristic expresses itself in many aspects of my life.

From a literal point of view I am a desert person because, in simple terms, I would prefer to sit and look at a single tree on a sand plain, than to be amongst hundreds of trees in a valley. I am eternally thankful that my subconscious led me into the field of exploration geology, a profession in which my chances of encountering thick forest are slim - as long as I'm in this country anyway.

Metaphorically I am a desert person because I prefer space over clutter, simplicity over complexity, solitude over crowds.

I don't know too much about art, but I do prefer more minimalist paintings and drawings over more complex ones. I can appreciate the skill required to produce a detailed peice, but there is certainly just as great a skill in knowing what to leave out - the background noise, so to speak. There has to be space for my imagination to fill.

My preferences in music are much the same, in that I generally enjoy simple or spacious music, performed with as few instruments as possible. I love it, for example, how the White Stripes perform such unique and energetic music with only Jack on guitar and Meg on drums.

In a documentary about the making of Pink Floyd's 1972 album "Dark Side of the Moon", keyboard player Rick Wright says that he placed great importance on leaving "space" in his playing - something that he and the band did expertly on that record and on it's follow-up, "Wish You Were Here". Sometimes the space or nothingness holds in it a lot more meaning than a chord thrown in for a chord's sake.

In terms of possessions, I would rather not have "things" than have them. I like it when there is nothing around to distract my attention and I am free to explore what I can do with myself - music, writing, reading, or just thinking. When there is too much going on my brain ceases to function.

This lack-of-desire for material possessions can be quite demotivational workwise and, when coupled with my tendency to melt down when faced with complexity, potentially makes me a useless employee. Luckily, for both my boss and my loan shark, the passion for geology is just enough to drag me into work each day and keep the dollars coming in.

Finally, I reckon that this topic relates to the common misconception that country people are simple people. I think that country people just want simple things, and have the ability to think simply, so in my classification they are desert people. It's the old "nature vs nurture" debate though - are they born or made?

So anyway, what are you - forest or desert? Maybe I've simplified it too much and there is another type of person not accounted for - mountain people, swamp people? Let me know!