Copyright 2002
Wilderness Drum, Inc.
All rights reserved

Closer to the Earth
Steve Beyer

Introduction Before you leave home Fears and prohibitions Beliefs Your senses Asking permission Sensory powers Camera walk Being something else Changing perspective "Artist Unknown" Thinking about nature On not naming things Gratitude Gifts from the wilderness Writing about nature Getting close Watching quietly One creature Decomposers Wilderness symphony Competency

Competency

If you have not had a lot of wilderness experience, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to learn. Yet, by the end of your vision fast experience, you will have mastered a number of wilderness skills. Similarly, there can be discomfort and apprehension in immersing yourself into the natural world, without the usual buffers of houses, cars, televisions, faucets, or flush toilets. The fact that you have mastered skills and overcome fears is much to your credit. Feel good about it. You deserve it.

Think about the skills you have learned. Say to yourself, "I am competent because I know how to build a fire." "I am strong because I know how to survive in the wilderness." "I am aware because I can silently observe the creatures around me." "I am knowledgeable because I can see how things interact and live in this environment." Believe it.

Think about the feelings you have had in the wilderness. Say to yourself, "I am a person who gets joy from a flower.” ”I am a person who can feel at peace just lying on a rock in the sun.” “I am a person who can touch a tree and feel within it the heartbeat of the earth." "I am a person who gets pleasure from plunging naked into a cold flowing stream." "I am a person who is at home in the wilderness."

< Previous       Next >

Back to the top
Return to Writings Page