Slow family in the field
I went on a four day camp out last weekend with my husband and four kiddos and 7 other families. 16 kids and 15 adults total on a group campout about 2 hours from downtown Austin, TX. Once we arrived at the park, we still had an 8 mile drive into the campsite via a dusty, gravel road which beckoned Lucinda Williams’ song on the stereo… “car wheels on a gravel road…”
Among the many beauties of this park and the particular group campsite we chose were the lower Colorado river, cold springs, plentiful pecans and live oaks for every climbing ability, lucsious trails to hike and a beautiful rocky cliff which caught all kinds of amazing light throughout the day. But perhaps the biggest beauty and the most amazing gift was the lack of cell phone reception as in none, nada, zero, zilch. None of the phones be them of the I variety of the flip kind, got any kind of service whatsoever. Which was funny in a way because in that night sky out there in the middle of not much at all, we were actually able to see the satellites among the stars which brought so many services our way.
The initial feeling was a little “oh no” I admit. And a quick cataloging of all the things that would not be do-able without a phone. But what could be done about it. Nothing at all really. So all electronic devices were powered off completely and with the lack of communication ability also went, for many of us, the lack of being able to tell just what time it was. So there we were, in a timelessness, with people we love and know and wanted to know better.
So out there in that big vast group campsite, amongst all of natures amazing loveliness, with S’mores and more by the fire, with all those friends and all those kids and all that time stretching out before us, we had nothing to do but connect. With each other. With our kids. With ourselves. With our partners. And of course with nature too.
It made me think that we could create this similar feeling of presence whenever we wanted by simply turning off the phone and tuning into the people right by our sides. And the nature all around us. And the stars above us. And the thoughts inside our own heads. Without distraction or disruption. Bring it on. I am so darn ready. And I think my kids are too.
Are you ready for a little presence in your world?
Recent posts by this author
- Don't. Forget. To Breathe. - January 20th, 2010
- Slow to connect - November 24th, 2009
- Fall connections - October 2nd, 2009
- Lingering in summer mode - August 13th, 2009
- Consumer Kids - June 20th, 2009
