We’d all be better off with a walk in the woods

I just returned from a two-day hike along the Appalachian Trail with my two sons. We drove to the parking area and headed out, hiking the trail for several hours until we decided to stop for the night. Then set up camp and had dinner. And when it got dark, we went to bed. The next morning we got up, packed up and headed down the trail back towards the start where the car was.

It was a wonderful time out in the woods. A time to be with my teenage boys. It was time in which there were moments when we heard nothing but nature and no trace of humanity. Those are beautiful moments. Quiet moments. We saw deer and squirrels. We were even greeted by a skunk in the early morning when we got up. We just waited for him to do what scavenging he wanted to do nearby, keeping a watchful eye on him to ensure we wasn’t getting too close to our camp, and us being too close to him.

Every time I take a trip like this, I learn some things. Here’s what I learned on this trip:

1. It’s a reminder really — we aren’t in control. We never have been. Doesn’t matter how much technology, know how, or anything else. We aren’t in control — especially when we are in nature. When we go into nature we are reminded that we are a part of nature, not in control of it. That’s scary for a lot of people, I think. Too many people have an addiction to the idea of control in their lives and controlling the world around them. And it’s ruining their lives because when control is most important, you aren’t paying attention to…