Social distancing. You’re probably as tired of this word as we are. We are living in strange times, and there’s no real idea of when things may get back to normal.
But Mother Nature doesn’t watch the news. She doesn’t care about viruses or quarantines. She just keeps right on trucking around the sun, and that’s what we love about her.
Spring is approaching and with it comes the desire to shake off the indoors and do what we do. Get outdoors.
Because outdoors comes with its own form of social distancing. No one needs an email explaining what steps the outdoors is taking to sanitize and disinfect. Nature is, in many ways, a cure-all for the ills that concern us, both physically and mentally.
Clean mountain air clears our lungs. The gentle prairie breeze cools our fevers. The gobble of a spring turkey sharpens our ears. The roar of the red stag strengthens our hearts.
It may look grey and dreary out there (both physically and mentally), but around the Badlands offices we are starting to feel it. Mother Nature is starting to wake up from her nap and will soon be asking us to come out of our man-made bunkers and soak it all in.
Spring always brings a sense of rebirth, renewal and a fresh slate. January 1 may start the new year on a calendar, but for us, it doesn’t really get renewed until the grass starts to green and the trees start to bud.
We know a lot of you are unsure about things these days. We get it. We’re right there with you. But something about this time of year always fills us with hope, with optimism, with happiness.
As hunters, we understand how frail life can feel sometimes. But we also know how to power through adversity. How to look a bad situation in the eye, roll up our sleeves, and say “Bring. It. On.”
Hang in there, and soon we’ll all be getting some distance between ourselves and society. Maybe yours will be sitting under a tree calling in Tom. Maybe it’ll be found creekside with a fly rod. Or, it might even be found simply walking a trail with a Badlands pack on your back and a friend by your side.
No matter what challenges lie ahead, take comfort in knowing Mother Nature is there. And right now, that’s just about the best medicine we can ask for these days.
