Outside

I have a friend who likes to go rock climbing and mountain biking. I have another friend who is a fisherman and just recently got into hunting deer. Then, there is my girlfriend who enjoys nothing more than getting to the lake and sleeping in a tent. Whether it is surfers, ultrarunners, mountain climbers, hunters, hikers, kayakers, and fishermen, they all have one thing in common. They like being outside.

This love for the outdoors is not a recent fad. It did not begin with North Face wearing and Clif Bar chewing eco-geeks. Mountain men of centuries ago had a zest for the outdoors that is equal or greater than what we see today. It was a place to live and thrive. It filled the spirit.



When you get back to work on Monday, people like to ask what you did with your free time. You can tell them you spent it all on the internet, or you played numerous games of pool or chess. Almost any answer you give will show you to be a Weekend Loser unless of course, you spent that time OUTSIDE.

Being outside is where it is at. Maybe it is getting Vitamin D from the sunshine or what have you. But we feel that life is somehow better outdoors. I believe the reason people engage in the various activities they do is to justify to themselves time spent outside. Sitting in a chair in the woods is kinda dumb unless you have a rifle in your hands. Then, it becomes cool. But if a deer never appears, no hunter will claim it was time wasted. Ultimately, they just like being out there.

The activity that appeals to me the most in terms of the outdoors is running especially trail running. It is cheap and readily available. You can do it everyday since all you need are a pair of shoes. But even a good walk or hike accomplishes the same thing which is getting OUTSIDE. I think being outside has fallen prey to marketing since people believe you need a bunch of fancy gear and equipment to get out there. But I can go drive to various parks in my area and just walk the trails. The gear is just a distraction.

In the new year, one of my resolutions is to spend more time outside. That's it. Of course, that might also conflict with my resolution to write 1000 blog posts. OTOH, being outdoors is something I can write about. We will see.

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