Why we go outdoors continued...

We hunt, fish, hike and camp because we need to. We don’t need to do these things in the same way previous generations before us did. Instead, we need to experience these times and master these skills to prove to ourselves that we could have survived and made a living back then, without all of today’s modern conveniences and support systems. By support system I mean those things that make it possible to make do in today’s world, like supermarkets, department stores and hospitals.
If you are like me, you probably have had your day saved by a quick meal out at some fast-food place. It seems like those places have been around forever, but in the 1870’s (or earlier) there was no such thing as Taco Bell or the “golden arches”. If you did not get your food during daylight, you did without!!
Today’s world in America is so very different – our economy and monetary system control everything. If we want or need something, and we have the resources to buy it, we can, just about any time of the day or night. We have come to depend on these services to provide for our everyday existence. Ever go without electric power for more than a day or two? Did it seem like your world had come to its end? Or did you break out the oil lamps and candles, or slept around the fireplace after cooking your meal in it? There is the difference, and the need, the need to prove to ourselves that we still are self-sufficient, if we need to be.
I can hear you already…”I’m not like that at all. Why, I only shoot trophy bucks/climb mountains/deep sea fish for giant marlin. I don’t do this because I need to, I just like the competition of it.” Of course you do – so did John Wesley Hardin and Billy the Kid! Nearly all of us have a competitive streak in us. Those that don’t have had theirs driven out of them! That competitive nature in us keeps us employed, helps us find a mate and keeps us alive sometimes!
Today’s lifestyle and frantic pace often turn into a dull grind that numbs the sprit and heart. Nowadays, we call it “burnout”. We search for a cause, a challenge, something that makes us feel alive and a part of the world again. It’s out nature as humans; we just can’t help ourselves (tell that to my loving wife when the house needs painting).