The great outdoors

I am one of those people who wants to be an outdoorsy person, but is sooooo not, mainly because of my severe fear of bugs - of any kind, from ants to bees to spiders to flies. I hate them. I loathe them. They give me the creepy crawlies. They make my skin itch. You get the picture.

However, I do not want to pass this on to my son, though I am afraid that is already in the works. I want him to love the outside, and fear nothing. I want him to hike and explore and climb trees and yes, even examine insects. (Is it ok for kids to still pull the legs off of spiders? Probably not.) So, I am going to have to learn to love it. I mean, the real outdoors. Yes, I enjoy having drinks out on the deck of a waterfront restaurant, strolling around downtown, feeling the ocean breeze blowing through my hair. And, if Rich can stand to have me loudly clap my hands to keep the bears at bay, I even love hiking. But I want my son to love camping, white water rafting, tree climbing. I have always secretly envied the family who does those sorts of things together.

Writing this article gave me some inspiration for starting to ease my way into becoming a nature-loving person. The outdoors can be a great catalyst for learning, and even though I may not be it's BIGGEST fan, I certainly want it to be intact for future generations to enjoy. Maybe my son, given the right circumstances, will even help to ensure that.

So, when I finished writing the piece, I contacted the Joppa Flats Education Center to inquire if they too, like the Audubon Center in my piece, would consider starting a nature preschool, a place where, at a young age, children are exposed to the outdoors and taught to be aware of and appreciate their surroundings. The director of education there congratulated me on thinking "outside the sandbox" and said she would bring it up at the next board meeting.

Now, I am not REALLY expecting anything. But I feel good about possibly planting the seed. Who knows? Maybe, with a little bit of effort, I can even learn to LOVE the great outdoors. Maybe, in a few years, you'll hear from me, and I will be off hiking in the South American rain forests or climbing Mount Everest. Or maybe, I'll simply be able to go hiking without worrying about being attacked by a Grizzly.