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T O P I C R E V I E W
Elizaray
Posted - Jul 01 2008 : 8:52:38 PM When you were a kid, did you get the chance to wander in the wild by yourself? What did you daydream about?
When I was young, we had some private land in the foothills of the rocky mountains. This particular area was thick with Junipters, sage brush, pine and sand. I could wander for hours happily living in my own fantasies. Something about the wild around me made me make believe I was anything from a Native American stalking deftly through the trees (I actually did sneak up on a small herd of whitetail deer sleeping in the mid-day heat) to a wild horse running free.
I collected beautiful rocks and climbed trees. I suffered scrapped arms and knees, even sat on a cactus or two!
I learned how to navigate by the sun and sky, by instinct and keen observation of my surroundings and land marks.
I never realized how vital it was for me to learn these skills by experience. My husband who has almost always spent time outdoors in the accompaniment of others has no sense of direction. As a child he was always with an adult that knew where he/she was going or was never allowed to wander to far alone. He never needed to learn that almost instinctual habit of noting the sun position, landmarks, weather conditions and all the other nuances that help you _know_ your location. And I don't mean just being aware of where you are on a map, if you know what I mean.
