Johnny Appleseed Survival Guide

I marvel that John Chapman, aka, Johnny Appleseed, who was essentially a lone wolf, survived on the Ohio frontier. The Ohio frontier of the early to mid 1800s was predominantly loaded with individuals and groups with a variety of goals.

These goals more often than not were enforced, or backed up with violence.

Johnny Appleseed probably survived due to his eccentric behavior for that time and place. His philosophy of life was essentially one of not causing harm to any form of life. He planted apple seeds due to not wanting to use a grafting knife to cut a tree, which in his mind caused harm.

Kindness to people and animals guided his every action. He believed God was in everything and was inspired by Swedenborg’s writings on the Bible, which led him to evangelize to anyone who would listen.

Johnny Appleseed survived and thrived in a violent atmosphere because he genuinely walked in the Spirit of God and literally produced good fruit for the Kingdom of God. He behaved in a contrary way to the world’s system and was blessed with a long productive life that is celebrated all over the world. What the world considers foolish and eccentric, such as much of how John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed lived his life actually preserved it on the rough and tough Ohio frontier.