Curing My Nature Anemia

I do not know quite what to think about this crossroad.

Maybe it is a normal part of the process. Maybe it is simply part of my personal born a Pisces personality complex that is coming into full-bloom. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that life has arrived at a point where I can allow myself the luxury of allowing it to accompany me. Maybe it is a combination of the three with a dash of this and a shake of that thrown in.

At times I find the crossroad a pleasant place to be.

At times it evokes a sadness that pulls me into a passing state of melancholy.

I never know which direction it will take me, and I have learned to simply go along for the ride.

The simple reality that I reckon with is that I am becoming quite nostalgic as I go through this aging process. It is odd how good memories unexpectedly float to the surface of life’s experiences and drift around in the flotsam that is always present. I cannot help but to notice and pay attention to the good memories.

Important stuff becomes more important and there is now time to focus on the things that are most important.

Important? More important? Most important?

Relative terms of measurement that mean something different in the lives of everyone.

We all set our priorities. The tragic thing about priorities is that all too often our personal priorities can turn into pits of despair. As Robert Burns put it, “The best laid schemes o mice an’ men gang aft a-gley.”

What I do outdoors is more than a hobby that has made its way onto my personal priorities list. It is, for me, more of a lifestyle choice.

I spent a large part of my adult life looking forward to my next occasional outdoor adventure. Other important life-matters seemed to always take priority over outdoor adventuring. Those outdoor adventuring occasions were few, short, and often far between. I shorted and deprived myself of something that I needed. I think, in retrospect, that by shorting and depriving myself of something that I needed, I also shorted and deprived others of a better part of me that was left neglected and malnourished.

Those days of neglected malnourishment are behind me. I no longer suffer from N.D.D. (Nature Deficiency Disorder).

Autumn is here. 

Trees are losing their leaves. The autumn wildflowers are really showing their colors and our crazy L.A. (Lower Alabama) heat and humidity has finally let up. It’s time to pull the Kodiak tent out of the shed and get our Fall Camping Tour on!

Shirli and I are headed to a group camp this coming weekend. We’ll be camping and making more good memories at the Open Pond Recreation Area in the Conecuh National Forest.

I consider myself a fortunate man. Part of the fortune is that I share life with someone that not only feels my need for the outdoors but also shares in my need for it.

Note: For those of you that enjoy YouTube, here's a link to my most recent video.

Payne Lake Overnight