I’m now settled into Oregon for the next two months as I prep for another season of Outdoor School followed by a short stint leading backpacking trips for teens. I’ve been reflecting a bit on what brings me back to this work now for my 5th season and I think the core of it is reflected in the song “Through the Eyes of a Child” by Aurora.
“I would rather see the world through the eyes of a child.” This lyric especially is something I am reminded of each week we have kids on site. Things that I have seen repeatedly never ceases to amaze the kids. The salamander crawling its way across the trail, the deer that walks up so close to them it’s as if they were asking to be pet, and the views that stretch far out to the horizon from the vista point. Each one I may be seeing for the 17th time, but for some of them it’s the first, and I’m reminded just how rare and beautiful all of this is. How special it is to be on this beautifully flawed planet with other life.
I hope this week you can find a chance to see the world through the eyes of a child or feel the world through the skin of a child. If you need help, take a close your eyes and take a deep breath, listen to your favorite song for calm, and then as you open up your eyes notice each color and sight in front of you acknowledging how they are here with you in this fleeting nature moment. I’m reminded of this comic:
Monday I was dropped off at the airport by Harrison and I flew back to Oregon.
On the flight, I watched a documentary called 26.2 to Life about a run club at San Quentin State Prison in California. Having just completed my own crazy run I was awe-struck by the men who dedicated themselves to this team and the people on it. How they strove to better themselves through the process of running and training for a marathon that would ultimately be run in a prison yard. I find one of the most helpful things of trail running is is the ever changing scenery, so to run a marathon in laps around their dusty and seagull filled prison yard I was amazed at the tenacity of each of the runners on their quest to finish. I also fully related when after finishing the run one runner lamented about the fact he lived on the 5th floor… one flight of stairs was enough for me. If you want to read more about this team and some of its participants and amazing stories I’ll link some below.
When I got back to Oregon, I got to go pick up a whole box of pinhole cameras from a local camera store! I hop to use them in lessons this Outdoor School season but first I got to figure out why my test photos are coming out blank…
Then I drove out to Camp Myrtlewood and got to do a week of outdoor school. There were so many things that were delightful that I just want to share photos.
A special shoutout to my roommate for the week Antonio. It was a pleasure sharing stories from our Mexican heritage and learning new guitar strumming patterns from you. You also do such good work waking up so early in the morning to make breakfast for 80 people. A true gentle saint with a simple smile on his face at all times. Thanks for making this week special and I hope you have a great summer continuing to take care of all the campers.
Oh! Also I couldn’t forget one of the more magical moments of camp. And that was meeting Garland. A young buck who has kinda found an adopted home at nearby neighbors of the camp and loves to walk around the camp premises. He walks so close you can almost pet him. And even at one point just walked in line with me and a bunch of kids on a hike! If you want that video send me a message!
I got back to Ashland just in time enjoy the back part of all the lovely blooms. And well I may have equally been attacked by their allergens as their beauty, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay.
This little reminder :)
And celebrating Guy’s 81st birthday. :) we played some Boulez and had some lovely hot dogs and ended with a variety of cupcakes for desert. And then in the best way we all said goodnight at 9:30 haha. Rest is very important these days for all of us.
A happy week this was! Now a week of rest and the final planning to begin staff training for outdoor school next week. And to get used to all these allergies!
If you got delights to share please do! I love hearing about all your lovely moments that are happening around you :) Write Me!
This week is posted a few days late because I am hobbling around everywhere I go. In the airport, I was using my trekking poles as a pseudo-cane to get around. Walking past the counters, struggling up stairs, I really was noticing that everyone was staring at me. My guess is they were having a hard time comprehending the fact that an otherwise healthy outward looking young man was very immobile. I took their stares with a smile realizing, there are probably many people that feel this everyday of their lives.
This sort of active empathy was further explored as I went through TSA and my bag was tagged for further inspection. As i hobbled over to the nice worker, she informed me that I couldn’t bring my hiking poles through security. Interesting, I thought, as this was not something that was told to me on my inbound flight and my bag was packed the same way. I asked her if there was anyway I could take them with me as I arrived like this, and after looking around she said a little under her breath, “take them, I don’t want to see you on the news”.
My guess is she saw me hobbling towards her to retrieve my bag and figured there was a chance I’d sue for discrimination against people with disabilities, but in reality, I would’ve just sucked it up and penguined my way to the furthest end of the terminal. Yet, the idea of what other people go through on a day to day basis stuck in my head, and I couldn’t shake how it must feel to be in their shoes, being judged for something that is out of their control. Even as I boarded the plane, a lovely flight attendant told me “I’m surprised they let you through security with those poles.” To which I said the same thing. And then I could see her expression change as I used the seat backs and pole to help navigate the walkway to my seat.
Nobody was trying to be malicious in their comments, they were mearly working inside the parameters of their job, but I’m left pondering after all of this, the feeling these subtle comments invoked in me. The weird line between anger, frustration, and sadness that arose, because it was as if there was no curiosity to understand, just an effort to enforce the policies. Policies that seem so arbitrary because of how they are inconsistently enforced.
I know I’m not perfect at it by any means, but in situations where I encounter people different from me, be it personality, capabilities, outlooks, I try to start by leading with understanding. Leading with an open, mind about who is before me and asking questions to uncover what has lead to this moment. Because for me, the events that led to my hobble were voluntary, but that is not the case for everyone. The problem is, we can only get there with vulnerability, honesty, and trust that the others won’t attack our vulnerable selves. And that is difficult to find. Yet that won’t stop me from trying. Which leads me to my first delight of the week.
While working in a coffee shop in Portland, I had the most wonderful of times chatting with my table neighbor. We shared stories of our twenties. The heartbreak, the stupidity, and what it took to make use finally realize, maybe we don’t have it all figured out and through it all, there was vulnerability to share some of our most vulnerable and tender hearted moments of pain. When we parted ways the lady behind us chimed in to say, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen two strangers open up so readily like that.” When I told her “That’s all I think most people want in human connection.” She nodded with understanding, but I could tell this practice may be a bit out of reach for her.
I got to hang out with one of my friends Marissa and hear more about her lovely adventures and what she is planning for her summer of mountaineering. We also got to hang up some of the photos she’s been waiting to hang up and since one frame was lacking a photo I went ahead and filled in some lovely art for her to enjoy in the meantime. :)
The photos
IT’s ART
I got to hang out with another dear friend and outdoor school chaos buddy, Laura at her home in Portland. She and her housemates create such a peaceful environment that is so easy to cozy up inside of. We shared conversations about education, herbalism, and even a few deep musings of life. As always ended with some silence out amidst the stars. One of the loveliest people I know out here in the PNW it’s so fun to see all the lives she continues to enrich. Also, lookout cause her garden will be BLOOMING with beauty soon enough, and I can say I was just one of many hands that helped in that process.
Then I flew off to Colorado and started my journey of running R2R2R. That will take a lot more to write about but just look at all these mountains that I got to see from my plane as we left Portland. Always a beauty to see the big 4 from the sky!
While in Denver I got to hang out with a new and oh so lovely person Julia! She’s the housemate of my dear friend Megan and we got to explore around some of the local parks playing rock and hole, riding on slides, and finding out that she is the Queen of Cheeseman. Undisputed no stops. It was a riot seeing the two of us roll about the park just being chaotic goons living our best lives and talking about anything and everything under the snow that seemed to be falling all around us but not on us, a wild moment! She will soon be embarking on some really amazing journeys so while it may be a while til we get to adventure again I’m so stoked to hear about all the delights she has on her travels :) To all the people that get to meet her, y’all some lucky folks.
The QUEEN of Cheeseman
Little Faces
Slide Time
I got to see some lovely art around the Santa Fe arts district in Denver as they prepped for first Friday art walk.
The Cowboys
Yes
Holdin Hands
And then it was time to start getting the gang together for the big run. To Hans, Sara, Elise, and Harrison. There’s no way I could’ve done this alone. Thanks for being the best motivators, support systems, and absolute GOOBERS to do a heinous run with. Til the next time, keep drinking your Lactaid!
As always if you want to share some delights I would love to hear about them! You can do so here. And until next week (which will be oh so soon), here is some lovely music for you.
There is a quote by CS Lewis where he says, “Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different.”. For me this is a great encapsulation of how it feels, for me, to be living in one spot for a longer period of time. My daily tasks are run, read, make art, feel the feelings. It feels very repetitive day to day and only holds a tiny bit of stress when I don’t create anything I feel is “good” or I don’t make any money, what society dubs to me is good. I mean it’s almost all so ritualistic to do these things that when I don’t, I can feel my inner self rotting away. Okay, that may be extreme, but anybody who has seen me enter a doom scrolling behavior knows I probably just need to go for a walk or make something with my hands.
Anyway, I think it’s in those walks that I find my most delights and I get reminded how I do value change, or at least novelty. It can get difficult for me to continue to find delights in something I am seeing day in and day out, I guess it’s one underpinning reason for why I continue to travel extensively, and yet I also know that while I walk I often come back to music that soothes me one of which is Seven by Sleeping at Last where he writes “But I want to be here/Truly be here/To watch the ones that I love bloom/And I want to make room/To love them through, and through, and through, and through/The slow and barren seasons, too.”
So I am trying to work hard through these “slow and barren seasons” be it financially, travel, or just times when life is less the raucous joyous chaos I love it to be. I know there is still much to delight in. Much that makes all of this life so so beautiful. After all life is just one big dichotomy of ideas. So might as well enjoy some of these little things right? And here’s what those things were this week. :)
Monday I drove out from Salt Lake City starting my trek west for work. Along the way I made a pit stop in the Ruby Mountains outside Elko, NV to try and scout some trails for a potential summer adventure. While many of the trails were still very much covered in snow and ice, it was joyous to get a small glimpse into the environment that would hold this adventure.
The Eastern Rubys
Lamoille Canyn
Rocks
That night I slept over at a rest stop and enjoyed some of the most beautiful stars I have seen since the canyon. I was again reminded of an entry into a journal long ago where upon convincing my friends to drive 3 hours to a dark sky park in college, “Never have I seen darkness os bright, nor heard silence so deafening.”
When I got to Oregon I was instantly reminded of how much I love the smells up here and that there is WATER!!! Lakes, rivers, and RAINNNNN. Maybe the rain would get old if I lived here full time, but there is such beauty and greenery because of it. I think maybe we should all just learn to dance and sing, rain or shine.
Diamond Lake
It’s like it’s summer
TREEESSFORREST
So many flowers :)
Also since there is tons of rain each day and all the sun in between there is perfect time to see rainbows. I only got to catch one this week but it was such a beauty. And the cloud formations are equally delightful as they hover so low above the earth here.
While out and about looking for a portable induction burner at the local thrift stores I came across an Ansel Adams Photo book that I ended up reading cover to cover while in the store. I wish I had room to take it home with me into my little van, but it was just too big. So, I’ll carry these quotes from him instead into my life and how I approach my outdoor teachings.
On one of walks this week I came across a wishing tree. A tree with a little sign and box indicating for people to take a tag write a wish and hang it into the world for all to see. Manifest something small or large, but always remembering as Shayne Said
“NINE: Try. The tiniest dream that you try to make happen is worth more than the biggest dream you never attempt.”
We celebrated Eryn’s birthday with good company, Dino nuggiesssss, and some chaotic games of leg wrestling. I may be a defending champion now. No big deal :) Also we got to end the evening with a reading of Claire’s favorite book “I want my hat back” She also recommends the one with the turtles by the same author.
Happy Birth
Wrestle
She indeed, got her hat back
Also what week is complete without seeing all the lovely dogs of the world :)
Foreman
Weird lookin Dog
I swear its alive
Pickles
If you let a dog conduct a symphony
I think this person has it all figured out. Cause what if the Hokey Pokey is truly what it’s all about? I mean if it’s not, maybe it’s about getting a beverage on a rainy day with your friends :)
This week I also got to spend a lot more time with Mitchell. A friend how I have now gone on both my Grand Canyon trips with and will be doing another trip with in May. So soon! It was fun to just get time to know him better and watch some baseball and move a TV into his new home here in Eugene so we don’t have to watch baseball on my laptop. Sadly, the braves are 0-3 to start the season.
As a kid raised for the most part in Maryland I have my concerns about this but it got me to laugh so that’s delightful. Also the coast is close, so I can trust seafood again!
Lastly just want to say I love seeing such diverse people all being their true selves again. Eugene, Portland, and Ashland are places where community knows to value the individuality of others. They are not perfect cities but I love seeing all walks of people be able to truly be themselves without fear of persecution. Because remember You Matter. :)
That’s all for this week friends. As always I would love to hear about your delights and know what’s happening with you. Send a note! Until next week here is a song by an artist whose music I’ve fallen in love with recently to send you about your week :)
