I'm Tired of Watching TV

Society today demands for your attention: advertisements, booksellers, musicians, artists, movies and television. To turn a profit, every product-seller needs first your attention, and he needs it undivided. Otherwise, the illusion the seller creates is lost, and the buyer will choose to do something else: something of more interest.

When we sit on the couch, we buy into this illusion with the fast-paced, loud-mouthed moving images we call television. We live vicariously through the lives of actors, news anchors, talk show hosts, characters and my favorite of all, outdoor video journalists.

Why can't we actually be these people? Is life so demanding that those fun things, those adventurous things we see and hear thousands of televised personalities take part in, are far beyond our reach? I vehemently declare NO! Of course not!

The first step is to get up off the couch. I know it's comfy. I know it's a habit. And I know you don't feel like doing anything else. But what about those times you see Bear Grylls jump out of a helicopter, or a Planet Earth filmmaker climb a cliff face for a shot, and you think, "Man, that's a cool job. Wish I was cool enough to do that."

The simple truth is you are! These folks didn't go through a rigorous training ritual. They've been doing this stuff their entire lives. Check out their websites and read some of their literature. They live off their butts and out of doors! They started a long time ago and took it a single step at a time. All you have to do to add a little adventure in your life is to go outside.

In Texas, as I'm sure it is in other places, it takes only about $100 to turn a weekend into an expedition. Check out your state parks. If you live in a smaller state, check out your neighboring state's state parks. At any of them, for a small entry fee (in TX less than $20 depending on the size of the park) will get you a day and a night of your customized adventure. Go hiking, canyoneering, swimming, spelunking! Get in touch with your wild side and have some thrills. Find some strange creature, discover a hidden cave, find a story in the canopy of every tree, and experience your planet as it was meant to be experienced.

Don't just sit around wishing you were out there seeing the world. Go see it. The strangest, most beautiful locations can be less than 100 miles away.

It's your life, and it's your planet. An adventure is just as far away as a map. I'll see you there.