Enjoying Nature

          Sometimes my head is so filled with things I just have to go somewhere to let them all escape and float away. To some of you the fact that anything is in my head is a surprise, to others it’s a mystery how I manage to keep anything in at all since I seem to say everything I think without using any sort of filter. Nevertheless, I do keep things to myself and I there are times when I need to get rid of them or they’ll eat me up like a troll under the bridge.

          The best thing I have found to release my demons is to step into nature and let her take them from me. Granted, it doesn’t always work and the thoughts and feelings always come back, but I feel renewed and more capable of dealing with them until my next foray into the wilds. Fortunately, I have a few acres just past “nowhere” where I can go to take care of it. I can literally feel the stress leave my shoulders as soon as I step out of the car. I even begin to feel better during the drive, depending on what I’m listening to in the car. I think nature is God’s way of reminding us that we’re really pretty small and so are many of our problems. Just breathing fresh air and not hearing the sounds of the city refresh me.

          I know that many people don’t have the option of spending a summer out at a farm and probably wouldn’t even if they could (too much poo), but there are other options. There have been studies that show how even listening to nature sounds calms us down. There are plenty of CDs or audio files you can get that offer sounds from jungle rain to annoying birds waking you up in the morning. I have a few of them and enjoy the rain sounds the most, probably because I live in a desert and don’t hear it very often. The thunderstorm ones are great!

          Fountains or waterfalls are also a great way to get some form of natural sounds in your life. I don’t have any because my animals keep drinking the water which makes the motors burn out, but they obviously do something because even Walmart sells them. Having water in the air also has a calming effect on us (notice where all the turmoil in the world is taking place right now: deserts). I would like to try spraying someone in the face with a water bottle next time I get in a fight with them just to see how far this water thing can be taken, but my wife recommends against it.

          As we get older and seem to have less time to relax, I think we really need to take the time and spend some it with nature. Fresh air can’t be that bad for us and getting away from an office or factory shouldn’t be too stressful, so give it a try. Even tricking your mind with some of the fake things I’ve suggested are worth a shot. Remember, it doesn’t do any good to get older if the quality of life is worse. As Spock would say, “Live long and prosper.”