22 Axioms of Camping Life

22 Axioms of Camping-Life:

1. Our lives seem to hold more humor whenever we share past follies with others. It braces the spirit, enhances the soul and brings us to a place of solitude that we wouldn’t otherwise have.
2. A deck of cards is more versatile than any gaming app, and holds more meaningful interaction than anything one can find online.
3. It’s never too dark to fish, it’s never too overcast to camp, it’s never too hot to swim and it’s never a good idea to fall asleep by the lamplight with your mouth open. For those who aren’t aware, insects are attracted to lamplight—and they will get halfway to your tonsils before you realize what’s going on.
4. There is nothing that’s more simultaneously nerve-wracking and relationally binding between two people than enduring four nights of camping in a tiny travel trailer with no running water.
5. You find out fast just how hungry you are when you’re willing to eat a cup of Ramen noodles—raw, crunchy and without any water.
6. Life gives you no rainchecks. You either cash in when the opportunity arises, or you miss it entirely. No coming back later wanting to lay claim to memories that have already been made or spending time with loved ones who have already passed on.
7. Most meaning can be found in the minutest of sounds and the most insubstantial of details because that’s where the meaning hides—it’s been driven from the bustle of our daily lives and has sought refuge in those places.
8. Working together to build a campsite, take care of it and then tearing it all back down teaches a child about the impermanence of life but—also—the importance of paying attention and treasuring good times when they can be had.
9. All you need is two good feet and the dirt underneath.
10. If you can’t cook, you’d better be good at one of the following: Making a fire, finding good roasting sticks, making good humor, telling good stories or scrubbing dishes.
11. NEVER assume the four-wheel-drive will pull you out if you get stuck. If you’re going into a place where you might need the 4X4, all bets are off and there are no guarantees. It’s better to just go ahead and tote your fishing gear to that inaccessible fishing spot.
12. Take pictures, but don’t spend your entire camping trip behind the lens of a camera.
13. Wading down into the water is good, but jumping in is much better.
14. If there is one thing we all have, it’s passion. We’re granted this rare gift out of all the creatures in this world. Make your passions meaningful to you. All too often, people confound hate with passion and they cling to it and let it define how people see them.
15. The first camping trip of the season is NOT the best time to be learning how to put up your brand new tent. This is especially so during a downpour.
16. Conflicts will occur. There is no avoiding them. You’re jammed together with people you might not see but maybe five times out of the year. They’re bound to happen. But once the anger passes and the incident has taken place, forgive.
17. Speaking of forgiveness—sometimes forgiveness isn’t expressed plainly. It can be in asking the other person to go for a walk or sit with you for a while. Or—and this is probably a favorite of ours—to find a good fishing spot and make the best of it.
18. The places you frequent and the things you do should fire the imagination and inspire you. If they’re not, then change it. There are builders, creators, artists, singers, writers, thinkers, logicians and problem solvers in each of us. Sometimes the drudge of day-to-day life will threaten to stamp that out. But don’t let it. Find little solaces in the small stuff and thrive on it.
19. When someone tells you the rocks around the stream are slippery—well, the rocks are probably slippery. Don’t ignore it.
20. Brushing your teeth and washing when possible works wonders for the moods of those around you.
21. A crowded, beat-up old truck full of friends and family beats an empty sports car any day.
22. Trips are nice to dream about, but even better to take.