The Canada Jay (aka “Whiskey Jack”) is fearless, and always open to adventure. They’re famous camp robbers who occasionally take food right from your hand. In the picture above, I’m tempting one with a piece of kibble we fed sled dogs that carried me on a short journey through the boreal forest this winter.
The birds need to be fearless. They live in our northern forests year-round and rear their chicks in the dark of winter.
Author Anaïs Nin wrote, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” And as I recover from my hiking injury and regain my ability to walk, I’m reminded that courage takes effort. And we must work at it every day.
I see courage as my coworkers wrestle with how to respond to the Novel Coronavirus that struck my region. I have seen them make decisions that affect the health and wellbeing of families, employees and the general public. They are rearing chicks in the dark of winter.
I lead outdoor adventures for California State Parks, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Sierra Club. I also work with high tech businesses in California’s Silicon Valley. All of these organizations made courageous decisions in the face of uncertainty. And I applaud them for taking sensible precautions for the public good.
You should also take sensible precautions, based on science and knowledge. But don’t let fear shrink your life in the ways that are important. Stretch your life in new directions. Dust off that project that’s sitting on your shelf instead of shopping at the mall. Learn a new skill at home. Practice camp-cooking in your kitchen. Or read that book you’ve been promising yourself for the last six months.
I prefer to be an optimist. My motto is “Stay positive, but don’t test positive!” I view the bottle of Purell as half-full. 🙂
The disease will run its course – while we live our lives like the intrepid Whiskey Jack.
I’ll see you on the trail!
– Steve
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Excellent perspective and excellent advice, Steve. I’ve been encouraging people to get outside every day and walk or hike, always while maintaining a healthy distance from others. This is easier in the modest-sized town where I live than in larger cities, but it’s important to continue a connection to nature.
Local authorities recently issued a “Shelter in Place” directive where I live. But they did exempt hiking, a nod to the importance of exercise outdoors and connecting to nature during a stressful time.