“For them to come to us, we must not want to see them”.
“Depending on what we think, we give off different smells”.
“We never approach them as conquerors, but with a humble attitude, making them understand that we are not the big winners”.
“Nature teaches us that we are stronger when we know we are vulnerable”.
“The deer really enjoy sharing a meal with us”.
“Deer do not have friendships, they help each other”.
“We humans are the link to the animal world”.
“We have forgotten what it means to be human”.
“The deer taught me what is good to eat, how to sleep in small cycles”.
“While they ruminated, I meditated. To each his own”.
“By pretending to ignore the animal, you attract it”.
“There was a mutual curiosity. Without wanting to possess and control each other, each one does what he wants, and when we need each other, we are there for each other”.
“The forest taught me the subtleties.”
“In the forest, it’s about the gift of self… not about profit, nor about what the other can bring me”.
“By living together, we are stronger together”.
“By being with them, many possibilities were revealed to me”.
“My task was to learn from them and follow them…”.
“For some deer I became the protector”.
They have feelings like us. The only difference with us is that we judge them”.
“The more we destroy the forest, the closer the deer come to the city. But they don’t get angry or resent us for it”.
“What if we build green corridors in the cities? With fruit trees and brambles”.
“You can’t live in the forest without being prepared”.
“Freedom is not freedom, it is not THE freedom”.
Every word, every sentence Geoffrey says has weight. He touched me deeply. Unfortunately, the battery ran out at the end, but there would have been no good time to end the interview anyway, as we could have continued talking for hours – and learning from him.
Geoffrey is probably one of those very few people who have been able to live in the forest with a great sense of integrity, as he was, finally at the age of 18, able to escape parental authority, who did not allow him to leave his home until that age.
His goal was never to write a book or make a film one day. The photos he took during his 7 years in the forest were meant to be part of his own family photo album.
If it was for fame, Geoffrey could never have LIVED this adventure, this authenticity. Because at the end of the day, all he was interested in during those 7 years was… LIVING! Not doing, not having, not being.
Today, he generously shares his experience with the readers of his book. “The Deer Man – 7 years of wild life”. A major film is in preparation.
After the interview Geoffrey told me that all his deer, his family, have been victims of hunters. “The moment of the hunt causes great panic among all the inhabitants of the forest.” And he also makes us understand during our interview, that the forest, with its massive deforestation, without regard for wildlife, is destroying the vital food base of the deer.
And when asked if he misses the forest, he replies: “I don’t miss the forest. It is in me”. It’s easy to see that.
It is a blessing to take these 1h20 for this simple, deep and true exchange.
