Get Outside

I was told to go outside just about every day when I was a kid. If the weather was nice I was expected to do something, anything outside. Not that it was a bad thing, I mean that was before Cable television and the original Nintendo had just been released. Of course I didn't have one.

Luckily at that time, I was living in a small farm town in Southern Indiana. There was plenty to do outside. I rode my bike all over that town, even made trails in the woods. I loved to play "Army Man" in the woods. My friends and I spent most of our time building forts or tree houses in the woods. We also always found ways to get into mischief too. It's a boy thing I think.

A few years later my family and I moved to Dallas Texas, then Lafayette Louisiana and finally Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Eventually as a teenager we moved back to Southern Indiana where I stayed until the Military moved me around some more. In every place though, I spent my time outside. Be it the woods surrounded by timber or the swamps of the Everglades. I found peace and comfort outside.

When I think about all the jobs I've had, most of them have been outside too. Pig farmer, lumberjack, Lawn Care Technician, all outside. What is it about the Outdoors that draws us in? What's the allure of it?

I was blessed to spend three years of my life in Alaska from 2008-2011. Hands down the most beautiful place I have ever been. If that place doesn't make you appreciate the outdoors, nothing will. Towering snow capped mountains, covered with Alaskan Birch and Spruce trees. Rivers and streams that seem untouched by man. Bear, Moose and Bald Eagles everywhere you look. The fishing, wow the fishing was incredible there.

Six Mile Lake Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

Little Susitna River Hatchers Pass, Alaska

Six Mile Lake Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

Six Mile Lake Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

I'm not a real religious guy, but standing near the base of a mountain, in winter, with snow covering everything, you believe. I thanked God for letting me experience such unimaginable beauty. Being there gave me an even stronger appreciation for the Great Outdoors. And I miss it terribly.

Whether you like to hunt, fish, hike or camp, we all do these activities for the same reason. We enjoy being outside. More than likely someone shared their love for the outdoors with you. Maybe a friend or family member. Now we all get the same opportunity to do that for someone else. I shared my Alaskan experience with my wife, and continue to share the outdoors with her. I will take my children outside and share this wonderful world with them too. Life is too short to waste it being cooped up inside all the time. Do something, anything outside, I promise you won't regret it.

D.S