Decades ago, Helen and Scott Nearing decided to leave their cushy city lives to create a life of self-sufficiency in Vermont. They made famous “The Good Life,” and for decades served as the standard bearers for a self-sufficiency movement in America. They made it seem amazing and exciting. Mostly, they made it a reality. It found roots.
Scores of people sought to share that lifestyle, live off the grid, abandon capitalistic principles, live more simply. The movement in Vermont was significant, and many people made that choice to be near the Nearings.
Then there are individual like David Lidstone, of New Hampshire, who made headlines this week. Jailed last month, he was found to be squatting for nearly 30 years on property owned by a Vermont man in an undisclosed location. His cabin burned shortly before his release, but he recently secured temporary housing through the winter. According to the Associated Press, a billionaire software company CEO gave the hermit $180,000 to rebuild his cabin in a new location.
Alexander Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, gave Lidstone a personal check, Lidstone’s friend, Jodie Gedeon said on Facebook. A representative for the data analytics software company confirmed the donation to the Concord Monitor.
“How can I express myself and my gratitude towards something like that? I start to tear up whenever I think about it,” Lidstone told the Monitor.
In the days since the publicity, there has been an outpouring of support for Lidstone. Lidstone, for his part said he doesn’t think he can go back to being a hermit now. “Maybe the things I’ve been trying to avoid are the things that I really need in life,” he told the AP.
The story captivated the nation. There have been efforts to reach out to Lidstone and provide him with help, so that he may claim a new life — or reclaim his old one. Onward. Upward. We hope the solitude Lidstone had during all these years provided clarity. And that the money opens the doors toward better tomorrows.
We do not know exactly what drove Mr. Lidstone to choose his lifestyle. We don’t know what he was “avoiding” that he now feels compelled to face head-on. The Nearings made a brand, and created a following that spanned the globe. The world fell in love with their remarkable story of surrender, and showed us that at that time, a simpler life was well within grasp. Making the same sacrifices today would provide a different kind of challenge, we suspect.
Now let’s talk about 29-year-old Matthew Caulo. Based on his obituary, he sounds closer in spirit to the Nearings than to Lidstone. But there could be an equal mix of the two, it seems.
Caulo died Aug. 8, on his property in South Royalton, according to his obituary.
Matthew Caulo simply found a piece of land, followed a dream, and had to surrender elsewhere.
Born in 1991 in Burlington, Matthew did what young people do: He graduated high school and went to college. As his obituary notes, he was born in Burlington, grew up in Norwich but called his piece of land “home.”
“Matthew had long admired the lifestyle and work ethic of rural Vermonters. He trusted his instinct and, sight unseen, purchased an overlooked property in South Royalton in early 2020 while living in New Orleans. In short order, he moved back to Vermont to live an independent, self-sufficient lifestyle. At the time of his death, Matthew was in the process of clearing the 5-acre woodlot along the Broad Brook to execute his vision: to construct a tiny home using felled lumber from the land. However, a persistent 10-year battle with depression ultimately prevented the dream’s realization.” his obituary notes.
This was about stewardship and simplicity. This was about working hard and chasing a dream. This was not about book deals and billionaires writing checks. Matthew’s story is one of constant learning, personal growth and chasing a better life. And depression.
“Behind the positive and assertive exterior, however, was a darker personality periodically clouded by self-loathing and remorse. In many ways, Matthew embodied the purest definition of ‘righteous’: He held himself and others to a moral code of conduct that was difficult to achieve, let alone maintain,” his obituary states plainly and passionately.
His family is honoring his “love of land, sustainable living and music” through a fund.
Because dreams are not easy. But help is there if you need it. For sure, we all can learn from the Nearings and accept Mr. Lidstone. But we must truly understand Matthew and his one-man struggle.
As noted in Caulo’s obituary, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in emotional crisis. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Call for yourself or someone you care about.
This editorial first appeared in the Rutland Herald on Aug. 20.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.