Running Wild

So, I was watching Running Wild with Bear Grylls and that got my brain on wheels rolling.

Now, I know some of you out there will say Bear Grylls is a cheater or whatever because he possibly stayed at hotels while filming his show, and he’ s not a real survivor, blah, blah, blah. And some will say this new show is only two days and it’s with celebrities and it’s all staged, etc.

But I respect the knowledge that Bear possesses. And he still does some crazy things. He still jumps out of planes and helicopters. He still hikes and climbs. He still makes shelters and fires and meals out of whatever he finds. So what if he stays at a hotel sometimes. I’m not going to judge him for that. I know I would be hard pressed to do half the stuff he does. I’m still trying to figure out how the heck I am going to eat fat, juicy worms that taste like old cream cheese and gristle. Yuk!

However, I’m not here to defend Bear’s honor. People are going to be critical no matter what. As I have said before, humans are great at being critical and judgmental.

What I was thinking about is being out in nature, and surviving.

Now, if you ask my husband, I’m not a big camper. Of course, he compares me to himself and he is the ultimate nature-loving, camping enthusiast. I will admit that I am still trying to make peace with the fact that camping means not having a real bathroom with running water and privacy and light in the middle of the night and protection from creepy crawlies. But overall, I do like running away from the hustle and bustle of the city every now and then. I know I need it. I crave it.

I think that we have strayed so far from our origins as animals. We’ve become “civilized” and tamed and out of touch with the world around us. We’ve encapsulated ourselves in our homes, in our office buildings, in our cars, in our electronic worlds. And while it has served us well in some aspects (i.e. running water), it has also taken something from us.

We are, by nature, animals. And being out in nature allows us to get in touch with that nature. It allows us to shed all the facades we’ve built. It restores us, replenishes us, and frees us. When we get out in the natural world, we forget about our jobs, our bills, our worries.  It is a physical and spiritual cleansing. Yes, it’s dirty and sometimes uncomfortable and challenging. But it makes us feel alive.

I am always awed by the overwhelming beauty of mountains and fields, deserts, and lakes. The myriad of colors and scents. The abundance of life. I always experience a sense of peace and well-being when I’m sitting around a campfire or exploring a trail.

The same can be said for surviving. That is a true test of our spirits, of our souls, of who we are, and who we can be.  It is a challenge. One that takes everything you have, and everything you’ve learned and mixes it up with everything you fear.  There is something about overcoming that challenge, about facing death and making it to the other side that reshapes your view of the world, of life, of yourself.  Surviving, like being in nature, is a physical and spiritual cleansing. It is transformative. You find out what is truly important, what you truly want and what you truly need.

I am always amazed at the light that emanates from those who have looked death in the eye, whether it was climbing a medical mountain or an actual mountain. It seems they love life more than the rest of us know how.

I hope that I learn to live and love with the purity and abandonment that those who have survived do.  And I hope to never take this beautiful natural world for granted.