SO WE'VE BEEN ASKING, "WHAT'S YOUR ESSENTIAL?" LET'S TALK ABOUT NATURE

MARK SIREK
MARK SIREK Administrator Posts: 293
edited July 2022 in ADVOCACY

It should go without saying, without nature, we wouldn't have as much to talk about here on The Trailhead! Within this passion we all share for the outdoors, it is the most essential of all essentials. But, while it can mean the same thing to all of us, our reactions to and needs for it can be uniquely different. So, we'd like to know, how is nature your essential? What does nature do for you, and how do you celebrate it?

Answers

  • Naomibro
    Naomibro Member Posts: 92

    Nature.

    Sounds not heard in city: silence-- wind, birds, leaves, insects, grasses, weather. It's all there.

  • bugglife
    bugglife Member Posts: 98
    edited August 2022

    Kurt Vonnegut has this idea that couples who run a business together should be eligible for anniversaries more than once a year because the amount of time they spend with each other is so much higher than most couples.

    There's something about getting out into nature with friends that relates. One day on the trail with friends, working together to get over obstacles, achieve a common goal, and with fewer distractions from the outside world equates to multiple hangouts at parties, bars, brunches, or other more urban places where there is more of an attitude of "easy come, easy go."

    On a recent trip, a friend of a friend, who has become a friend of mine over the past 1.5 years, said to me, "there is a small intersection of people who 1) Could do this. 2) Would want to do this. And 3) I would want to do this with." There's something to be said for people who can wake up at 2am for an alpine start without complaint. The friends who can stick it out with you through terrible conditions, and realize that a bad time often equals a good story. Or, as my brother once responded after I thanked him for not complaining about being in a situation that I had gotten into, "Oh, I would have complained if I thought it would have helped."

    So, I know I've been talking about people here, which others might think of as the exact opposite of nature. But for me, nature is a vessel for me to connect with other humans. It's a place to maybe get a little more vulnerable emotionally, because it reminds us that we are already so susceptible to the weather, terrain, animals...the elements, regardless of our level of physical fitness or preparedness.

    So, thanks to all my friends who have been willing to go out into nature and get cold, wet, hot, tired, and uncomfortable with me over the years. Looking forward to doing it for years to come. That's my essential.

  • MARK SIREK
    MARK SIREK Administrator Posts: 293

    @bugglife Cheers to this - every word. Thank you. - Mark

  • Max_Kiel_Trail
    Max_Kiel_Trail Member, Moderator Posts: 12

    To put it simply, nature is my playground. Hiking, running, and backpacking gives me the opportunity to explore new landscapes on foot; the feeling of wonder and excitement I feel when exploring a new trail or climbing a new peak for the first time is what I live for. Nature motivates me to push my body and tests it's physical limits, and brings out the best in me. I think it safe to say that nature brings out the best in us all...