What draws you to the woods?

As a child, I lived in a very, very abusive home. As melodramatic as it may sound, I found safety in the woods where we lived. I learned how to make forts (shelter) that I could easily hide in from my mother's partner, I stalked animals since I found them more interesting than people, and I watched military personnel train in our woods (we lived right next to a training base) without detection as well.

As I said, it sounds a little dramatic, but I continue to find security in the woods and my family has been raised feeling at home camping and away from the hum of modern technology accasionally.
 
kgd said:
Why do the woods draw you in time and time again?
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The Woods is THE place for me.






They are my Cathedral,

...my everchanging art gallery,

...the place I go to find solice and to recharge my batteries.



Big Mike
 
Brian Andrews said:
I would venture to guess that there is probably more than that, even if you have not realized it yet :D

Afterall, there are "no people" in your bathroom. Well, at least I hope so :eek::eek::eek::eek:

:D
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A bit "tongue 'n cheek", but yes. :D

Seriously though, I've always been a bit of a loner and selective of friends. I also spent my childhood in the province/rural areas and the mountains during summers.

What else is there to say? All the previous postings, including yours, brilliantly describe the absolute bliss (the only word in the English language which I could describe it) of being out there.
 
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The sights and sounds of Mother Nature are more welcoming than that of a data center.
 
A sense of marvel and wonder.

I could prattle on for ages but I wont. For brevity I shall simply steal from Rita Carter. Carter was speaking of the human mind when she wrote the below – I inserted the bold to suit my purpose here too:

“There is no ghost in this place,
no monsters in the depths,
no lands ruled by dragons.
What today's mind voyagers are
discovering is instead a biological
system of awe-inspiring complexity.
There is no need for us to satisfy our
sense of wonder by conjuring up
phantoms – the world within our heads (or the wild places)
is more marvellous than anything we could dream up.
There is no ghost in the machine.”

-Rita Carter

On that, I am compelled.
 
I grew up near a big forest, but having lived in the cities the latter part of my life , I miss being in close proximity to it where I can be away from people.

A lot of the posts and pictures from you fellas are a real inspiration to me.:thumbup: Coming here and seeing what you guys do makes me want to get out more, but my present responsibilities prevent long term expeditions. I used to spend weeks alone in the bush with nothing but a knife, tarp, rifle, and fishing rod. Now , it's a lot harder to get away.

What draws me to the woods? I want to get civilization washed off me by the purity of nature. Where no humans make the rules. Where what I do brings back direct results,with or without penalty. Where my knowledge is what keeps me alive and comfortable. Where I provide my own heat and shelter. Where my music is provided is by God. Where my two feet or paddlestroke provide transportation. Where no one tells me what to do, where to go, or what to say. I do not have to either please or offend anyone.
I can be at peace in my own mind, unemcumbered by the wrath of man or machine.
 
For me it"s the connection I feel to everything in nature , I feel no connection to concrete or metal .
 
Grew up in the city and although found some time in the woods as a Boy Scout, I regret that I didn't get out into the woods and appreciate it as much as I do now.

When we bought a place in the Adirondacks, I became an avid hunter, fisherman, paddler, skier, etc....I love being out in the woods.
 
Big Mike said:
The Woods is THE place for me.






They are my Cathedral,

...my everchanging art gallery,

...the place I go to find solice and to recharge my batteries.

Big Mike
Click to expand...

I keep looking back at this post of Big Mike's. Probably one of the best, EVER! :thumbup:
 
No Phones
No Blackberries (one of the best reasons for me)
No televisions
No radios
No planes/trains/automobiles
Little to no mechanical noise of any kind

Sleep like a baby.

Fresh Air.

Escape from the City.

Talk with my family without distraction. Enjoy my wife and kids company and listen to what they have to say, again WITHOUT DISTRACTION.

Enjoy God's Green Earth

I work in an office, on the phone mostly, dealing with clients, calls, e-mails, meetings, etc. I enjoy my work, it is fulfilling and profitable. But - there is nothing like sitting around a campfire at night with my wife and kids and just talking about each other, likes dislikes, philosophies on life, etc. They're not going to be young long and while they are I want them to have fond memories of outdoor trips like I had when I was young. My dad and his buddies used to do father-son fishing trips quite often, and some of my fondest memories were of those trips. I want to give that to my kids.

....and for all the reasons others have posted above.

:D
 
What keeps drawing me back?

Several things, actually:

It's the one place on Earth that is actually fair. You either make it, or you don't. There are no nanny rules, no handicaps, and no handouts. No way at all to cry foul because of skin color, country of origin, or sexual orientation. If screw up it, it's on you.


It's quiet. And it calms me down. It's my anti-depressant.


It's the one place where I feel most at one with God. For some people that's a brick building with a balding, middle-aged man screaming at them about Heaven and Hell. For me it's listening to wind in the leaves, watching clouds roll past overhead, babbling creeks, chirping crickets, and singing birds. The woods are proof of God. Naysayers can suck it.

It's the one place I know I can hide from anybody if I don't want to be found. And the one place I know I'm safe. Some people feel safe barricaded in a house with a ton of guns and ammo. Not me. The woods and mountains give me options. I'll take a knife and options over guns and ammo any old effin' day of the week, chief.
 
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