This week I wanted to write about something I love and that continues to influence my life in a positive way – the outdoors. It’s a common bond for many of us living in the beautiful state of Vermont but to put it into school context, I want to share how important the time I spent outdoors as a child was for me.
Most of my memories as a child are of times I was outside. As with many kids, I had the infamous red rubber boots that could take on just about anything (they made just about every childhood picture I was in during those years). As soon as my brothers and I fueled up at the beginning of the day with our Cheerios or eggs or finished our homework, the boots went on and we were out the door.
As a child, we didn’t have to plan our day ahead of time. That’s important because we were experiencing and learning new things all the time and we naturally matriculated to whatever development needs we had at that point in time. My brothers and I would walk out that front door and decide what to do as we went. Sometimes we did the same thing as day before and we would go down to the pond and catch frogs. Other times, we wanted an adventure so we would head up into the woods where we would pretend we were stranded and had to build a shelter and forage for food. No matter what, there was always something to do outside. We rarely knew what it was going to be ahead of time, which is why we needed to head out that door and then things would just start happening.
For us, boredom was an important part of the process. It didn’t always happen that we went outside willfully. Sometimes while puttering inside, one of us would announce in a whiny tone “We’re bored!” Mom or Dad would send us outside pronto – no if, and, or buts. It’s like any challenge in life; when we don’t like our current state of things, we’re prompted to change what we can until we are happy once again with our situation. No kid likes to be bored but it’s bound to happen and for us, this boredom would always trigger the all-mighty imagination! It took practice and a lot of “banging our heads against the tree” (or each other) but we developed quite a knack for it. In the outdoors, our imaginations could soar.
There are many things we can observe and learn from the outdoors. God made it so beautiful, so perfect, and so fascinating! What man-made thing can compare? His goodness is revealed to us through nature and we are all called to be good stewards of the land. We were learning constantly but it didn’t feel like work – it was fun! I’m thankful to my parents for encouraging all that time we spent outside. I have such an appreciation for it now.
Still to this day, when I’m inside on the weekends feeling a little lull, I remember that childhood lesson and head outside for the adventures that wait. Sure, sometimes my “responsible adult side” takes over and I wind up picking up bombs the dogs left behind or finish cutting back the flower beds but not always, and even when I do, that is usually the part of my day I look back on with great appreciation and contentment. Our days can be so busy and complicated, even as kids, but outside it is simple and peaceful. Those are things I’ve always enjoyed in my life whether a child or an adult and I think they were put there as a reminder for us.
Posted by Mr. Olsen
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