So You’re Not Outdoorsy???

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, there existed recess. Recess was the best thing I had going for me as a kid. I loved it, and so did every other kid I can think of. Every single child loves to play outside and go bonkers. Now that I am an “adult” I hear people say insane things like F.E.M.A. builds concentration camps, and even more insane than that “I’m not outdoorsy”. How can a human being not like the outdoors? Mother Nature freely offers all of her bounty for our exploitation and you can’t go out and enjoy the woods? It’s just plain rude! Let me try to help you.

Research shows a positive correlation between time spent outdoors and lengthened attention span, being healthy, and the ability to prepare for the oncoming zombie apocalypse. However, you might like ADHD, Obesity, and Zombification. So let me try to convince you with my nonsensical objective opinions that spending time out of doors is the best way to spend your time. On a side note, if preparing for the oncoming zombie apocalypse is not important to you then stop reading, delete me from your friends, and stop talking to me because I don’t want to feel bad when I destroy your undead corpse :-) Here are the top three reasons why I love the outdoors.

1. It is fun

2. It is healing

3. It is real

Show of hands, who has fun at the D.M.V.? I have fun outside because it is the exact opposite of the D.M.V. There are no lines, no charges, and no rules. Being in an environment where there are no rules is fun, but it is also very important to brain development. If you don’t have boundaries you need to create them yourself. This teaches kids to limit their horseplay, focus on what matters, and make independent decisions. There are natural consequences to those decisions so it teaches them to follow the rules because it is important, not just because someone said so. Obviously kids don’t do this well, none of us are good at things we have never done, so they have to learn! This means they might get some bumps and bruises along the way. This leads me to my second point, nature is healing. Natures healing power lies in its awesome power to humble you. Wading through a creek fishing is about as relaxing as it gets for me. If I have had a hard day, or week, or month one hour in the water can wash all of that junk downstream. The creek reminds me that erosion is a terribly powerful and destructive force. Yet, it creates ways for life to thrive. It can take lifetimes for a creek to form. You are just simply aware that you are not the center of the universe and your problems aren’t either. Outdoor sports like rock climbing and mountain biking require all of your attention. It pulls your mind out of the corners of the internet and makes you very aware of the present. Nature is also as real as it gets. I love to read and playing video games, but in nature what you do actually happens in physical time and space. You can’t beat that with a stick (except you can, because it’s real). We live in such a digital era; we need to take time outside of the virtual and spend time in the physical. There is no need to become an outdoor junky, but please take time to appreciate the natural wonder that is all around us every day. And remember, mosquitoes kill 2 million people every year! Muahahaha!