Finally I can do a tell-all column about being on Celebrity Treasure Island. But I have no “shock, horror” revelations at all. Instead, it’s just old-school confirmation that after 18 days of going bush it was clear to me that the simple life is better for us. The lives we lead in the “real world” can be deluded, mad and rushed, and no one gets much quality of life at all.
Folks, we have stuffed up our paradise. We have far too many possessions we don’t need; we have far too much food. We lack survival and bush skills, and we have become inherently lazy and reliant on technology and machines to think and make decisions for us.
CTI proved a timely, incredible opportunity for me to power down the devices and step away from the hassle and hustle of a rat race that will ultimately finish many of us before our time.
I and my fellow castmates all created amazing bonds because there were no competing barriers to communication. No phones, iPads, TVs or laptops. We had nothing but the pure unadulterated versions of ourselves and whatever we wanted to talk about.
You learn things, you hear stuff because you’re not distracted - and you’re certainly not busy taking photos of beans and rice every night. Here are my takeaways from my time on the island:
1. I WAS WRONG ABOUT REALITY TV
I’ve never been a huge fan of reality TV, but I got that wrong. The production crew work tirelessly to craft a show worth watching – and don’t underestimate how hard it is to manage 18 delicate egos!
2. PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN AND REJOIN REAL LIFE
We don’t need our phones to live full lives; I can’t recall one thing that happened that I needed to know. Being without a phone for the better part of three weeks meant we had to talk to others. In doing so, you find out and learn so much more. You remain in the now. Old school, really. Relationships and friendships develop and blossom without the constant need to check your phone and be interrupted.
3. WE HAVE FAR TOO MANY FOOD OPTIONS
We not only have too many options, we eat too much. Just look at how much food we throw out. We lived on rice and beans and whatever we won or caught, and I think it was better for us.
4. TEACH A MAN TO FISH
Teach a man to fish and he can provide for his tribe forever, but I was gobsmacked. Only three of us out of 18 knew how to catch our food. It’s a basic human survival skill but many in the Western world wouldn’t know where to start.
5. GET TO KNOW PEOPLE BEFORE YOU JUDGE THEM
The Herald reported that many contestants thought I would be first to go. They largely saw me as no threat, old and a bit grumpy, and it was clear they didn’t think much of me. But some contestants who had put the boot into me on day one returned to the journalist asking for their comments to be removed because I was actually a good guy (their words not mine).
THE TAKEAWAY:
This back-to-basics experience was important to me as a reset in what actually matters: Our families and our health. All we need is shelter, warmth and some tucker. It’s how our forebears lived, and I loved living like that for a short time.
I could do it for longer. Life has become too complex and expensive and we’re melting down.
So, stick to the basics, unwind the complex, turn your phone off and start living.
