With an even greater awareness and appreciation for the outdoors, life’s stresses have a way of fading into the background.
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Discovering nature’s beauty has been one of the best things to happen in my life over the past few years. When I was growing up, I was not the “outdoors type” and did not go hunting, fishing or camping. It just didn’t happen.
Yet I can say that I do have a great appreciation for the mother of all sunrises and sunsets, what many in different societies call Father Sky, Mother Earth, Brother Sun and Sister Moon.
Where did this new appreciation of nature begin? I guess it started when I was living for a stretch (as we say in Texas, y’all) in El Paso.
I had this apartment that looked westward from the Franklin Mountains and I could see the sunset … and it was quite beautiful. Of course, when the winds picked up they’d swirl around the outside of the apartment and I could hear that roar, too.
Ah, sweet West Texas winds.
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After my first trek to Arizona didn’t quite end up as I’d hoped, I found myself back in the Lone Star State without some things in life … like a car (that’s another story for another day).
Once I was able to get into my own apartment, I used buses in Fort Worth and friends who were quite kind to give me rides to different events.
I also used my two feet and discovered running. Not sprints, but long runs … like 8, 9, 12 milers. I’d never run this long before in my life. I started out one day and wanted to get from where I lived down to the Trinity Trails. This is a beautiful area that lines the Trinity River, which runs through Cowtown, and is filled with cycling trails, running trails, benches and places to simply rest and relax.
I would have Saturdays and Sundays free from looking for work or, once I had some work, was able to take time off and just go run. I felt so free. It was beautiful to run under the sun in the spring, down to the trails and feel, touch and see trees, leaves and grass. Eventually, I was able to purchase a road bike and ride 15 to 20 miles, learning and feeling more of what being outdoors can do for a person’s emotional state.
Never has nature sprouted her wings so splendidly in front of my own face as it did during this spring of 2013. Well, that’s not quite true because seeing bluebonnets in Texas during springtime sure is awesome.
So, I fell in love with nature. I’d always loved the Rocky Mountains when going on summer vacations with family members. I remember riding and driving through the heart of Colorado, up through Pueblo and Colorado Springs toward Denver and, ultimately, Estes Park. God, it’s incredibly beautiful.
Then, there are the rivers and creeks within the Texas Hill Country, especially Pedernales Falls State Park just outside Austin. (Have I mentioned how much I love the Texas Hill Country?) Even looking up at the night sky and counting stars makes nature as close to one’s heart as it can get.
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Don’t you have an appreciation for nature in your part of the world? Ah, you might be living in a modern city filled with skyscrapers and more condominiums than you can stand. Even Houston, which has grown so much over the past 30-plus years, has its nature spots. Same goes, obviously, for New York with Central Park and Los Angeles with Griffith Park overlooking the City of Angels.
Nature speaks to the souls of men. It does. Yes, same goes for women, too. There is a part of me that wishes I’d had a longer relationship with the great outdoors. What I can say is how grateful I am to look around, see and smell the beauty of nature and appreciate its splendor.
Out here in Arizona, where I live these days (Round 2, if you will), there are mountains, hiking trails, cycling trails, Saguaro cactus that rise up toward the Grand Canyon State’s skies, and incredible sunrises and sunsets. Mind you, I’m writing this in February so I’ll skip the “dry heat” of summer commentary.
Appreciating the ability to see these natural, everyday occurrences and experience them certainly gives me a whole new attitude toward this beautiful world.
Sure, I know … shootings and mass killings are occurring. Addicts are found dead in the streets after taking another hit of cocaine or heroin. Children are abused, beaten and left to fend for themselves. Parents are lost, lonely and afraid for what might happen next. Feel better now? I don’t live in the world of make believe all the time. It does, though, help to live in wonder, awe and possibility.
Nature provides a healthy remedy to being indoors. Speaking as a man who understands the power of isolation and loneliness all too well, breaking free from a sheltered life has taken time. Thank goodness that, yes, at 50 years old I can appreciate it.
There is an energy which flows through nature. Tapping into that natural energy on a regular basis brings me more joy, and that’s what I want in my life today. More happiness, joy, love and peace … and that is what I wish for you, too.
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Photo: Rennett Stowe/Flickr