Editor Hannah likes “being outside a lot.” She recognizes the benefits of the outdoors, so she assigned “Wilderness” as a topic for her Blog Staff. Evan, too, finds the outdoors beneficial. Let him explain.
By Evan Spry
As time has evolved, being out in the wilderness has become a lower and lower priority on the list of things to do. Nowadays, it is so low on the list of priorities it contributes to our growing unhealthiness. According to the CDC, in 2017-2018, 42.4% of American adults were obese (CDC.gov). I truly believe that, among other things, a lack of outdoorsiness hurts. It is so interesting that something that would seem so primal and instinctive would be this absent in most of our lives. The reason is that many of us would chuckle at the proposition of going to the wilderness with your friends or family just to be in nature. Many people would rather sleep on a comfortable mattress with a TV hanging on their wall with access to the almighty microwave than sleep in a sleeping bag on the ground with a campfire as your only heat and light source at night. I don’t blame these people at all. I mean, there is a reason all of us live in buildings with electricity and running water. Progress is a thing that is important. I don’t think the solution to our unhealthiness is to completely revert back in time and live in caves. The solution is that we should spend a chunk of time in the wilderness. The reason spending time in the wilderness is important is because when you’re really there, and all that is on your mind is adapting and surviving, you forget about all your “real world” problems and return to a primal state of acceptance and awareness. You learn to love and appreciate the natural world and its gifts. You live in the day and sleep in the night. You are surrounded by a completely different energy than that of a big city. It is an organic energy that feels refreshing and pure. Soon, you get used to living and surviving like your ancestors did so long ago. Every action you take to increase your chance of survival in the wilderness feels like a huge victory. Also, when you’re not distracted by the noise and light pollution of the city, everything seems right, everything is peaceful. It is dark out when it’s supposed to be and light out when it’s supposed to be. Something that most people don’t realize is that putting yourself through the nice experience of camping in the wilderness is an effective meditation. Like I said, you’re not worried about the problems of the “outside world” if you have to survive in the wilderness. When you are able to think about those problems, you have a much different perspective….You have the perspective of a survivor. So, I urge you to go out and experience the wilderness. Survive in it. If you don’t find an amazing and meditative experience, then I am sorry. However, I think it is important to connect to our natural world and rhythms.
Wilderness Editor: Hannah Hall
Source Referenced:
CDC
Thank you for the encouragement. I will give it a try… not wait… I’m fibbing.
I will tune into Naked and Afraid and experience the natural world vicariously.
But thanks for the insight through young eyes.