Living in Nature Teaches Us...

Not sure If everyone knows that I’ve been livin’ in a minibus near a large lake (not a river) working for stay at a hostel since mid-March.  It has been a crazy time to be at an AT hostel.  With a pandemic raging, what normally would have been a wonderful time of joy, camaraderie and a jumble full of hiker drama and excitement has been a mixed bag of every emotion imaginable.

The season started with sadness and huge disagreements, yet hikers kept hiking. Quickly life at the hiker hostel settled into its normal routine of hikers in, hikers out…no different than normal except that nothing was normal.  There was not the normal hugging and hanging out, foot tapping became the new hug…and if there were ‘real’ hugs,  they were tempered and worrisome not enjoyable.  Hiker numbers were down, hostels and towns which normally were friendly and lovely places in the past turned inward and closed due to fear and no real knowledge of the future or what to do.

It seemed like it was every town for themselves and personal decisions about how to handle the coronavirus were varied, resulting in confusion, arguments, and disagreements between friends.  There was a time when many states were completely closed and hikers were sent home. Heated words were sometimes exchanged and we all struggled to keep our heads in the game…meaning we all tried to remain in hiker mode which is all is good, hike your own hike with an even greater understanding this year of do no harm.

Along with the issues surrounding the Covid, it was one of the wettest, dreariest and damp, ugly cold springs I’ve seen.  Well into May the rain fell day after day and the temps hovered in the high 50’s to high 30's at night.  Mud, slippery trail tread and falls were the norm.  Rain gear never dried nor did shoes, all which added to the general feeling of disgruntled-ness which permeated everyone’s attitudes. Being old, I washed my hands a LOT and kept my distance, spending a lot of time in the minibus alone which during this season is abnormal. 

It was a time of deep, personal reflection, allowing me to ponder what is of real importance, what defines me and how can I use my time for my and the world’s highest, greatest good.   Daily, sometimes hourly, I breathed in and out my mantra of, all things work for good.  Because, I learned that no storm lasts forever, walking my path daily became manageable.  I felt like I kept moving forward and didn’t wallow in disappointment.  Instead, I found the time to do what I have needed to do for a long time but just never thought I could spare the ‘time or energy’ to proceed.  I’m writing a book.

It is not surprising that within my community of house-less, van dwellers, many of us would be struggling.  Some to figure out how to remain safe from illness and where to find a welcoming place to dwell.  Others are still moving, still traveling yet with the constant need to check to see what is open and the restrictions placed where they are going.  A once effortless, carefree lifestyle turned hard.  Living in a stealth van means that you are not seen.  Evidently, we are very good at that because we seem to be  forgotten and unseen.  Boots Off hostel and its owner, Jim Gregory, offered me a safe port during this storm. The minibus allowed me to spend a lot of time sitting 2 feet from the forest floor.  Even the shower and kitchen are outdoors, thus, interacting with nature is a daily ‘thing’. 

I’m not the only house-less/homeless person who has stayed here for a time.  Others who ranged in age from early 20’s to late 60’s have lived in tents, vans or are work- for-stay, long-distance hikers who have stopped here for various reasons.  Recently, one of our tent campers who has lived in a tent since May, exclaimed that, ‘camping is hard’.  I concurred.  If it’s hot, you’re hot, if it’s cold you’re cold, if it’s raining, you’re wet, dry you’re dehydrated and sweaty.  In some ways we are thru hikers without walking.  It takes energy to gather water and take it to your site.  Showering, although lovely here, is a process because it is weather determinate. Cooking on a fire is time consuming.  Dishes must be done at your campsite or van or everything taken to the community kitchen. This individual had recently gone away and left the fly off this tent…it rained hard that day for the first time in weeks…I bet you can see where this is going.  Learning to live as a part of nature means you live by her rules.  You can’t forget that she can do anything she wants at any time…she’s thequeen.

What I have most enjoyed about this season in my life is how I’ve become part of the rhythm of the trees, the animals, the sky and sun surrounding the minibus.  It is not a large area, some 20 ft semi-circle out my front door, but it appears that the animals consider me a bunk mate.  I’m just an anomaly living in their space, something odd but not threatening.  I keep the minibus door covered most of the time with a white mosquito netting held up with magnets.  There are tree stumps turned on their side outside the door which are my nature made steps. The flat space is covered in wood chips ending in a slope festooned with trees, poison ivy, Virginia creeper and violets.  Amidst this plant life reside 3 small, blue Hydrangeas.  Small because this hillside is usually weed whacked to control the PI.  This year because of me, it was not, and they grew.  Stunningly, periwinkle blue colored, large blossoms filled the 3 bushes for weeks.  Every morning I looked on them and they filled me with joy. 

Generally, in the quiet morning time before the world arises and busies itself with daily duties something comes to visit me …tiny baby squirrels, tiny wrens with their mommas,  a newly fledged robin and his mother, chipmunks eating a mushroom, Blue Jays building a test nest. Something will come and either hop thru my space or sit on the wooden step. It will peer in through the mesh watching cautiously, for a glimpse of whatever is inside.  I, who am inside, sit as silently as I can, taking in this moment, this sharing of airspace.  I have even had chipmunks and wrens come when the curtain is not there.  That is when I quietly scramble for the cellphone camera

This gift of trust which brings me such delight, seems completely normal to the animals.  They come and use the wooden step to rest, grab a bit to eat, elevate themselves so they can see the lay of the land better, who knows why they come…curiosity maybe? For me each of them brings me wisdom, a greater connection, a feeling of togetherness and sharing that humans have been unable to provide during this time of forced separation.  Maybe nature knows how much I miss my loved ones and because we are all one consciousness, one energy, brings to me some encouragement through these small companions.

My belief system requires me to be aware and alert and allows nature to talk to me.  So, when I have    a visitor, I go to my books and the internet to hear what they have to say to me.  I like to think that if  I  listen well, they will bring me messages about how to live like they do…content, surrounded by        nature, doing what comes naturally to become successful.  Think about it, animals work each day to        learn a more efficient and safe way to provide for themselves and their offspring just enough food,        water, shelter and space to survive one more day abundantly.

Wrens have been a big visitor this year, calling, yelling, singing, humming, yes, humming a little tune to itself when it is happily working away at finding food.  They have made their way into my life almost every day.  They seem to feel it is their duty to wake me every morning, incredibly early…I ignore them and go back to sleep for a while until they insist that I get up.  Wheat-ier, wheat-ier, wheat-ier, whit…is what I hear most of the time.  They are tiny bundles of energy in a small brown coat, underneath they wear a cream-colored shirt and sport a matching cream-colored eye brow.  A very dapper look.  I imagine they are Watson of Sherlock Holmes’ fame only in a bird suit and able to fly.  Their sharp eye and keen awareness helps them to solve difficult cases ie find food.  A long beak for pulling insects from small holes serves them well as their curiosity about what exactly IS underneath that rock drives them.  Quick movements and their diminutive size allows them to duck into small piles of brush quickly if danger appears. 

Since, they have been ever present, let me tell you what I have taken into my life from observing just this one animal.  Their body is perfectly suited for their habitat. Their beak and coloring blend with the bushes they love to live in.  They are always aware of what is around them.  They have a loud voice which they use to let people know they are around and have something to say, they are never shy about proclaiming their right to be alive, yet will yield to those who are bigger and or more dangerous.  They make room for those companion animals/birds who live in their space.  They don’t get in others way or take more than they are due.  Yet in quiet moments when they are just doing their everyday duties, they are happily content to the point where they hum to themselves a merry little chortle it seems just because their heart is overflowing with contentment.  I had never heard that before this summer.  

They know how to fit into a space and raise a family.  Safe and protected from the elements, their young venture out on their own but parents stay close by.  They are curious and brave in the face of odd situations which don’t match what they have experienced before.  They will go and find out what is going on with little fear or despite their fear.  They must work diligently to protect themselves and prepare for what is coming.  Because they are so small their ability to be one step ahead of danger is critical.  They listen to the wind to hear what they need to hear. 

So, how can I use these insights I’ve gained from my Wren friends in my life?  Well, I can look at myself and find the things inside me that are perfectly suited for where I am right now and then be grateful.  I can see myself as a reflection of the divine and know that I have the awareness to take advantage of what is available to me in a way that doesn’t interfere with other’s needs.  I can understand that I have the skills to follow my path and do what I was made to do here on earth just because I am here and am who I am.  I can feel the emotions I feel yet know that I am but one part of the whole.  I can learn that I have a right to be here and be successful but can honor other’s right to be here and be themselves, also.  I can make a lot of noise but yield the floor when necessary to allow others to have their say. 

I can be content and happy just doing the small, boring tasks that occupy so much of my time because they move me along my path, provide for those whom I love and support the community around me and I can hum joyfully while doing them.  I will take the time to prepare and protect myself for future journeys and my unfurling future so that it becomes what I want not just a thing that I just walk thru blindly.  Living passionately and having a fulfilling life of joy and abundance takes ongoing evaluation, readjustment, and awareness.  Step by step I learn more about how to live successfully, just like the Wrens who grow over the years and gain more knowledge about how to be a successful Wren,  I can learn how to walk in light and love and abundance, living a life of purpose and passion.  

If we become aware of our true nature, we will live more truly the life we desire.  Will it always be sunshine and flowers…of course, not.  We are humans after all.  We came here to experience emotions and we will, and it is good and for our good.  Transcending our emotions so that they do not cause us to go too far off our path or hurt others, is, I believe our goal here.  Each new experience that ‘triggers’ an emotional response is an opportunity for growth and understanding, not one for condemnation or consternation.  Again, I’ll say it, we are humans, we should expect emotions and not be surprised or feel guilty for having them. 

So, let’s learn from our animal friends because they never feel badly or worry about being themselves.  They just get on with life and learn from their mistakes.  If they have disagreements with the companion animals who live in the same space with them (different species living in the same habitat area), they yell and stand their ground then go about their business, yield ground if they need yet, do not hold a grudge going forward.  For them, it is a good day if they make a mistake and don’t get eaten or killed.  Thank goodness, we have a little more leeway.  So, today maybe hum as you work, smile when you see yourself getting triggered, laugh if you get angry or frustrated, hug someone just to do it…lets reconnect with who we really are and honor that spirit within.