What's It All For?

Have you ever asked yourself the question "What's it all for?" The "it" can refer to any number of things: life, work, study, being responsible for others. . .you fill in the blank. Where am I going with this? Well, the question moves us to figure out why we care about something.

A mysterious but tangible experience occurs when people encounter nature for the first time. The first time you ever saw a bee up close. The first time you hiked near bears in the mountains. The first time you swam with a sting ray. The first time prairie grass tickled your legs. Something stirs inside you when you're faced with the strength or the sweetness of untamed wilderness. You are moved to speechlessness, to fear, to words, to tears.

When I first hiked in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, my response was speechlessness and a mental clarity I'd never known before. Seeing the rocks and pines and high-lying pools made the forces of nature seem so powerful compared to the force of my feet on the trails. All the strains and tangents of my typical thoughts blew over the peaks and far away like a passing 3-o'clock shower. It was as if a part of me hadn't been born until that moment.

Now, you might be sitting there, thinking wow, this is really over the top. Instead you're saying, "I had altitude sickness and blisters. I ran out of water and fell into a freezing cold lake cause my "friend" was fooling around. My first experience of the Rockies was anything but speechless." Fair enough. But I dare you to try a new landscape. Visiting landscapes and reading about them are the best ways to discover what in nature you are drawn to care about. Once you know why you care, taking care is the unavoidable next step - like gravity pulling your feet down a mountain trail.

Happy Outdoor Weekend!