WoodNCanvas
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Sorry if this is a little late in posting....but thought I'd share here....
A little over a year ago I listened to CBC Radios Metro Morning and heard the host Matt Galloway talk about a recording of 2 minutes of silence on the BBC as part of Remembrance Day....and the move to get it on the other radio stations....and the importance of silence. It reminded me of the importance of Remembrance Day. Like most Canadians I took time at 11 am to give a moment of silence to remember our veterans....especially those who had died in previous wars, trying to defend our country. I am opposed to war; most people are I think. But our country is what it is today because of the efforts of Canadian men and women who fought for this country through various conflicts such as the two World Wars and in Korea. My Dad was a WWII vet, having served in the Royal Canadian Navy. He never really talked much about the war. But I know he was involved on several Atlantic convoys, and even in the Normandy (he manned landing craft bringing troops onto the beaches). My Dad recently passed away (and many of the WWII surviving vets are in their 80s or 90s, so those still alive are certainly not going to be around forever; and there is only one or two WWI vets left alive; we need to honour and remember these men and women, especially now as much as at any time). I think its important to remember those that chose to serve Canada, doing what they thought was best for their country. Just as those who were in Afghanistan.
A couple of years ago, I was in Toronto for part of the day on November 11th....and returned home on the GO train. As we left Union Station, the GO Customer Service Rep asked us to take a minutes silence to remember our veterans and those currently serving in our Armed Forces. It was after 4:15 pm and some young folks on board commented that Why should we have to do this again????....an older passenger sitting next to them simply suggested they be quiet and respect the others who were taking a minute of silence. They became quiet. But I wonder if they realized that they do have things to be thankful for and possibly even to remember too. Perhaps they will think of that more in following years on Nov.11th....while other Canadian families are reminded of such things on a daily basis....especially those families with loved ones currently overseas.
A moment of silence is always a good way to reflect on important things.one of the things I love about paddling a canoe solo on a northern lake.alone with my thoughts. We dont take time to reflect enough.to have a quiet time to think to ourselves.being outdoors can be a place for that. But whether youre outside or on a GO train being asked to take a minute of silence, I hope you took time Friday to think about our vets. And I hope you might think of them during the rest of the year as well. Any way, I hope you get some time to also reflect on this and anything else important.
One way to get such silence is to spend time on your own.to be solo. I have taken to rereading Sigurd F. Olsens words....finding that much that he wrote years and years ago are even more true today than when they were first written. I discovered a wonderful website simply entitled the Sigurd F. Olsen Website. On here I found an article entitled On Being Alone. It is a short piece but well worth checking out. I have included two excerpts from this article.
First I think this might sum up the reason Sigurd had for reflecting on being alone:
"There is something to being on your own, whether in a blind, trout fishing or canoeing. Alone you get close to nature, you can listen, think, feel yourself a part of the water, at one with the trees and grasses, a part of the whole eternal picture. I think this is what many men seek but never find, the sense of being an intimate part of anything they do. So much of a mans time is spent being a good fellow, trying to be sociable, competing with others, that he does not find the real answer."
Sigurd concluded his article with this passage:
"I think that here is so much of what a man seeks, here so much the answer of what he needs to give himself contentment that he should try and find more frequently ways of satisfying his need. Once he senses that feeling of utter familiarity, of complete attunement, then he has gone a long way toward counteracting the bleakness of civilized living. We are not so far removed as yet, but what we must satisfy often the urge to be alone, to be a part of our surroundings, of being at one with the earth and sky and water. Here is real satisfaction, here fulfillment of the constant hunger of men for the past and primitive."
I have had the opportunity to take solo canoe trips.to get away from the crowds.or to escape from the daily grind that I might have found myself trapped into....to re-energize my batteries so to speak.but more than anything just to be on my own....to be quiet and listen to all the natural world around me has to offer.
I must admit though that lying alone in my sleeping bag and hearing for the first time the wail of a wolf howling through the otherwise still night did send shivers up and down my spine....and caused me to pull the sleeping bag up tighter around myself....until I realized that I was not only fairly safe where I was....but that I was also the intruder in this wild place. I ended up getting up and sitting next to a low campfire....partly I guess because it further added to my own personal sense of safety.but also so I could hope to better hear the chorus of the wolves calling. After a while I found myself throwing back by own head to howl in my own best attempt at immitating a wolf.and was more than pleased that I was eventually able to elicit a response from the nearby wolf pack. Of course I was never really sure what they were actually saying at the time....perhaps the wolves were wondering what stupid human being could be trying to mimic their calls.
In programs such as Outward Bound, I have the opportunity to take part in solos. A solo involves instructors taking each participant to a location which is near enough to the group to be safe, but far enough away to allow reflective time alone in the wilderness. The solo exercise is designed to allow students to make an introspective evaluation of their personal progress on their course and in life. This is not a survival exercise, but rather a more meditative one. The solo experience leaves a lasting impression on the students. For many it is the first time they will experience this type and duration of seclusion in a natural environment.
For the solo, students are equipped with a whistle, water, a lamp, food rations, pen and paper, a sleeping bag and a tarp. Students are assigned small adjacent plots, putting them just out of sight of their fellow course mates. In the event that a student would need the assistance of an instructor, they would blow their whistle to summon their instructor who stays within earshot of all students.
The solo is designed to give you some time to yourself, away from the group, to relax, reflect, and recharge. The solo provides a change of pace. It varies in length depending on the duration of the course, sometimes for several days. You have a campsite of your own. Youre never more than a whistle-blow away from your instructors who will check on you regularly. So as previously stated, the solo is not a survival exercise; youll have all your gear and food with you. Its simply a time for self-exploration, rest, reflection, and some journal writing. But an interesting thing can happen sometimes.
My first solo was spent on the crown land around the then Leslie M. Frost Centre in the Haliburton Highlands near Algonquin Park. It was part of the Woodsmanship Leadership SchoolI was taking part in. It was early June. I was set up on a site on Gun Lake with a tarp to build a shelter out of.a basic supply of a few matches, some food (including a bannock mix), a pot/deep pan to cook in (and to make a tea out of a wild edible plant.I found wild mint growing near my campsite) plus a sleeping bag, an ensolite pad and a ground sheet.roughing it in relative comfort.as well I had a pencil and a journal. Soon I settled in, having built my shelter and setting up my campsite. I was only there for 48 hours and knew my instructors were nearby (part of the exercise was to see how I set up my campsite using basic outdoor skills that had been taught in the course). But an amazing thing occurred.
My site was on a canoe route sometimes frequented by groups tripping through the area. A high school group came through on my second day. Obviously I was seen by this group. They set up their camp on an island not far from my campsite. To me, they seemed loud and intrusive.barging as it were in my space. I even found myself hiding from them as best I could to preserve my isolation. Despite their efforts to catch my attention, I declined any communication. I didnt even build a fire that last night so as to limit any observation of the appearance of my camp.although by now the group knew I was there....but I guess in my mind if they couldnt see any real sign of me being there then maybe I could limit their own prescence.
They left the next morning on the day my solo ended. The last few hours of my solo felt freer than any of those when they had been present. I know that I wasnt out there on my own for that long a time.and the high school kids must have thought they had come across some crazy old hermit in the bush....but I found I had become comfortable being on my own in a relatively short period of time....and wanted to keep that feeling going as much as I could.
A little over a year ago I listened to CBC Radios Metro Morning and heard the host Matt Galloway talk about a recording of 2 minutes of silence on the BBC as part of Remembrance Day....and the move to get it on the other radio stations....and the importance of silence. It reminded me of the importance of Remembrance Day. Like most Canadians I took time at 11 am to give a moment of silence to remember our veterans....especially those who had died in previous wars, trying to defend our country. I am opposed to war; most people are I think. But our country is what it is today because of the efforts of Canadian men and women who fought for this country through various conflicts such as the two World Wars and in Korea. My Dad was a WWII vet, having served in the Royal Canadian Navy. He never really talked much about the war. But I know he was involved on several Atlantic convoys, and even in the Normandy (he manned landing craft bringing troops onto the beaches). My Dad recently passed away (and many of the WWII surviving vets are in their 80s or 90s, so those still alive are certainly not going to be around forever; and there is only one or two WWI vets left alive; we need to honour and remember these men and women, especially now as much as at any time). I think its important to remember those that chose to serve Canada, doing what they thought was best for their country. Just as those who were in Afghanistan.
A couple of years ago, I was in Toronto for part of the day on November 11th....and returned home on the GO train. As we left Union Station, the GO Customer Service Rep asked us to take a minutes silence to remember our veterans and those currently serving in our Armed Forces. It was after 4:15 pm and some young folks on board commented that Why should we have to do this again????....an older passenger sitting next to them simply suggested they be quiet and respect the others who were taking a minute of silence. They became quiet. But I wonder if they realized that they do have things to be thankful for and possibly even to remember too. Perhaps they will think of that more in following years on Nov.11th....while other Canadian families are reminded of such things on a daily basis....especially those families with loved ones currently overseas.
A moment of silence is always a good way to reflect on important things.one of the things I love about paddling a canoe solo on a northern lake.alone with my thoughts. We dont take time to reflect enough.to have a quiet time to think to ourselves.being outdoors can be a place for that. But whether youre outside or on a GO train being asked to take a minute of silence, I hope you took time Friday to think about our vets. And I hope you might think of them during the rest of the year as well. Any way, I hope you get some time to also reflect on this and anything else important.
One way to get such silence is to spend time on your own.to be solo. I have taken to rereading Sigurd F. Olsens words....finding that much that he wrote years and years ago are even more true today than when they were first written. I discovered a wonderful website simply entitled the Sigurd F. Olsen Website. On here I found an article entitled On Being Alone. It is a short piece but well worth checking out. I have included two excerpts from this article.
First I think this might sum up the reason Sigurd had for reflecting on being alone:
"There is something to being on your own, whether in a blind, trout fishing or canoeing. Alone you get close to nature, you can listen, think, feel yourself a part of the water, at one with the trees and grasses, a part of the whole eternal picture. I think this is what many men seek but never find, the sense of being an intimate part of anything they do. So much of a mans time is spent being a good fellow, trying to be sociable, competing with others, that he does not find the real answer."
Sigurd concluded his article with this passage:
"I think that here is so much of what a man seeks, here so much the answer of what he needs to give himself contentment that he should try and find more frequently ways of satisfying his need. Once he senses that feeling of utter familiarity, of complete attunement, then he has gone a long way toward counteracting the bleakness of civilized living. We are not so far removed as yet, but what we must satisfy often the urge to be alone, to be a part of our surroundings, of being at one with the earth and sky and water. Here is real satisfaction, here fulfillment of the constant hunger of men for the past and primitive."
I have had the opportunity to take solo canoe trips.to get away from the crowds.or to escape from the daily grind that I might have found myself trapped into....to re-energize my batteries so to speak.but more than anything just to be on my own....to be quiet and listen to all the natural world around me has to offer.
I must admit though that lying alone in my sleeping bag and hearing for the first time the wail of a wolf howling through the otherwise still night did send shivers up and down my spine....and caused me to pull the sleeping bag up tighter around myself....until I realized that I was not only fairly safe where I was....but that I was also the intruder in this wild place. I ended up getting up and sitting next to a low campfire....partly I guess because it further added to my own personal sense of safety.but also so I could hope to better hear the chorus of the wolves calling. After a while I found myself throwing back by own head to howl in my own best attempt at immitating a wolf.and was more than pleased that I was eventually able to elicit a response from the nearby wolf pack. Of course I was never really sure what they were actually saying at the time....perhaps the wolves were wondering what stupid human being could be trying to mimic their calls.
In programs such as Outward Bound, I have the opportunity to take part in solos. A solo involves instructors taking each participant to a location which is near enough to the group to be safe, but far enough away to allow reflective time alone in the wilderness. The solo exercise is designed to allow students to make an introspective evaluation of their personal progress on their course and in life. This is not a survival exercise, but rather a more meditative one. The solo experience leaves a lasting impression on the students. For many it is the first time they will experience this type and duration of seclusion in a natural environment.
For the solo, students are equipped with a whistle, water, a lamp, food rations, pen and paper, a sleeping bag and a tarp. Students are assigned small adjacent plots, putting them just out of sight of their fellow course mates. In the event that a student would need the assistance of an instructor, they would blow their whistle to summon their instructor who stays within earshot of all students.
The solo is designed to give you some time to yourself, away from the group, to relax, reflect, and recharge. The solo provides a change of pace. It varies in length depending on the duration of the course, sometimes for several days. You have a campsite of your own. Youre never more than a whistle-blow away from your instructors who will check on you regularly. So as previously stated, the solo is not a survival exercise; youll have all your gear and food with you. Its simply a time for self-exploration, rest, reflection, and some journal writing. But an interesting thing can happen sometimes.
My first solo was spent on the crown land around the then Leslie M. Frost Centre in the Haliburton Highlands near Algonquin Park. It was part of the Woodsmanship Leadership SchoolI was taking part in. It was early June. I was set up on a site on Gun Lake with a tarp to build a shelter out of.a basic supply of a few matches, some food (including a bannock mix), a pot/deep pan to cook in (and to make a tea out of a wild edible plant.I found wild mint growing near my campsite) plus a sleeping bag, an ensolite pad and a ground sheet.roughing it in relative comfort.as well I had a pencil and a journal. Soon I settled in, having built my shelter and setting up my campsite. I was only there for 48 hours and knew my instructors were nearby (part of the exercise was to see how I set up my campsite using basic outdoor skills that had been taught in the course). But an amazing thing occurred.
My site was on a canoe route sometimes frequented by groups tripping through the area. A high school group came through on my second day. Obviously I was seen by this group. They set up their camp on an island not far from my campsite. To me, they seemed loud and intrusive.barging as it were in my space. I even found myself hiding from them as best I could to preserve my isolation. Despite their efforts to catch my attention, I declined any communication. I didnt even build a fire that last night so as to limit any observation of the appearance of my camp.although by now the group knew I was there....but I guess in my mind if they couldnt see any real sign of me being there then maybe I could limit their own prescence.
They left the next morning on the day my solo ended. The last few hours of my solo felt freer than any of those when they had been present. I know that I wasnt out there on my own for that long a time.and the high school kids must have thought they had come across some crazy old hermit in the bush....but I found I had become comfortable being on my own in a relatively short period of time....and wanted to keep that feeling going as much as I could.
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