An unexpected, but certainly welcome, benefit of having a large parcel of land is the solitude that can be experienced there. A true feeling of isolation can be hard to come by in our modern world, and that is something that I feel like we are desperately missing in our lives. Sometimes distractions can be a good thing. It is not wise to dwell on something continuously, especially if it is something negative. However, I would argue that if you allow yourself to be constantly distracted, then you are less likely to spend sufficient time pondering life’s spiritual and philosophical implications.
Before moving to our new homestead, we had relatively small parcels of land (I know that small in the country is not the same thing as small in the city in terms of land). While these properties were multiple acres, there was nowhere on any of them where you could truly be isolated. Instead, we sought out seclusion in nature by going hiking on nearby nature trails. We enjoyed these experiences so much, that we made the primary objective of most of our family vacations in the past to visit National or State Parks and hike their trails. Now if I am being honest, while hiking for miles in the mountains is usually visually gratifying, doing it with 4 young children, and often being surrounded by other hikers at the most popular parks, it does not always fulfill the desire for peace and tranquility. It has, however, allowed our children to learn an appreciation for nature and what it has to offer. As they have grown older, we find ourselves not having to remind them to stay quiet so they can hear the birds, or so they might catch a glimpse of a skittish rabbit. They’re beginning to understand now that if they slow down, they won’t miss the deer track along the water’s edge, or accidentally step on the flower that they would have loved to admire. More importantly though, I know that as they learn to spend time in nature quietly, they will begin to hear more than the birds, the water, and the wind. They’ll begin to hear their own deep thoughts.
While we don’t watch a lot of television (and less now than ever), one of our favorite shows of the past was History’s “Alone”. What interested me more that the survival aspects of the show, was the inevitability of the participant’s confrontation with some profound reflections. Whether it be thoughts on how they were spending their valuable time, or their relationship with God or their family, almost every contestant at some point in the show did some significant “soul-searching.” Some even came on the show for this reason in particular. I don’t claim to be able to explain it, or even understand it, but I believe from my own experiences that spending time alone in nature allows one to dig below the surface level that we tend to remain on during the normal course of our lives. I sincerely want this for my children, as I am grateful for the answers I received when I allowed myself to seek them.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
-Henry David Thoreau