On the first of this month, The New York Times published a piece by Nicholas Kristof called, “How to Lick a Slug”. In it, he talks about how children today are not in tune with the outdoors, unlike children from previous generations beginning with . . .  well, beginning with the beginning.

I used to spend much more time outdoors, and regret that I don’t make the effort to do so more often. Much of my youth was filled with traversing creeks and playing in state parks. I used to love just standing ankle deep in a cold stream, letting the water – and the life it contains – rush by. Hopefully that will change soon. My wife and I have two “outdoorsy” adventures planned in the next month and I hope to do more, especially in the fall when the heat in Missouri has broken.

To appreciate nature I don’t believe people have to “rough” it, they just have to get the hell out of their houses and into the woods. The woods don’t even have to be natural woods for crying out loud. Taking time to navigate man-made parks or local preserves is enough to get in tune with the great outdoors. These types of outings can be a catalyst for more formal trips that require planning, packing and a small shovel. Of course graduating to that level of immersion is not even necessary.

I remember biking the Stinging Nettle trail with some friends in high school through Castlewood State Park just outside of St. Louis. Man alive did we get muddy. The water had risen on the Meramac River and we weren’t even supposed to be in the park. The roads had been closed and we snuck in through an adjoining neighborhood. I’m not sure if it was that time or another I took some pictures of the river. The trees looked like bushes, popping up out of the water. I lost that roll of film before it was ever developed. I guess it’s like writing a poem and then tearing it up. Or not, since I just told you about it.

You’re only hurting yourself by not experiencing what nature has to offer. I’m getting excited about our trips. Staring at a computer all day takes its toll. Hopefully the house we’re renting has the Internet.