Partnership is Key
The Turning Feral Devotional - Day 65
Day 65: One of the key aspects of living a life that is less reliant on others is, ironically, others… For those who read my book Turning Feral, I ended it by preaching about the need for community, or in common millennial parlance, a “tribe.” But, there is another element I did not talk about, which is the support you have to find in your nuclear family, which in my case has been my wife.
Living an outdoor life is not easy – several times a year I am gone for at least a week to hunt, trap, or otherwise screw off in the woods. Which, without sugarcoating it, leaves behind in its wake a multitude of difficult things for my better half to juggle. Half completed projects, kids, snow shoveling, fire starting, etc., all while trying to maintain her own aspirational pursuits. Frankly it’s one heck of a job – but one that she takes on over and over again with a genuine smile.
Yes, at times during my absence things get hard, things feel like they are impossible and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel – the cabin is a mess, a pipe isn’t draining, the kids are sick… and in those moments when we communicate I do feel an urge to get home, but she always ends it with an encouragement for me to stay out and finish what I set out to do. A priceless gem of support that I get to enjoy. Why is that so near and dear to my heart? It’s because never had that kind of nuclear support before I met my wife. I’ll spare the details of past relationships, but I’ll end this by saying that community and building a tribe is important, but finding the right day-to-day partner to battle through the good and bad with is even more important. It can often mean the difference between achieving your dreams or watching them slowly wash away with the sands of time. So choose wisely.
Daily Prompt: What does your support system look like to achieve your dreams? Is your tribe aligned with that goal? What about your significant other?:
Motivational Passage:
“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”
T.S. Eliot
Rewilding Action: Winter is here across the US… cars are sliding off roads and into ditches left and right. But, what should you be carrying with you during this time of year? Well, I carry several essentials — Chains are number one, but often times these aren’t legal on certain roads, so check with your local state authorities before you slap some on your wheels, which is augmented by (in no particular order of importance): A pistol & carbine, sleeping bag, universal med kit (w/ torniquete), tire repair kit, handheld ham radio, jet boil with a few freeze dried meals, shovel, fire starter, and extra water. I’ll be doing a longer form video soon about the full winter driving kit breakdown.