As I write, I’m watching the last chunks of sea ice lazily drift towards the horizon. Faintly in the distance, you can see them huddled in a cracking mass.
I look at my own hands. They, too, are cracked. A stinging reminder of sunny afternoons spent writing at my desk that faces the window. As I’ve watched the daylight wax and wane, I’ve constantly been reminded that time, and sunlight, come in finite amounts.
And as the sunlight grows, I continually push myself to grow as well. I find that most growth comes from trying new things.
Exhibit A: I accompanied a duck hunt over the weekend.
Go ahead. Fact check with my mom. As a kid, I didn’t like playing army because army crawling on the ground would get my clothes too dirty. Consequently, a lack of developed army crawling technique only heightened the hours struggling to crawl proficiently towards the edge of a pond.
Did I shoot a duck? No. (I’ve always been more of an along-for-the-ride kind of guy).
But I did snag a wild Alaskan box target lounging next to a river on the merciless tundra.
Did I successfully sneak up on some ducks? … Kind of.
My emerald green hoodie was easily seen from any water source. For a second time this post, I will blame the disappointing lack of camouflage in my adult wardrobe on my pre-mentioned aversion to playing army.
But I digress.
Accompanying duck hunts is just one of the amazing opportunities Alaska has given me to unleash my inner-outdoors and find my true self. And through these experiences, we find another small piece of ourselves. Whether it’s finding out that hunting looks pretty cool, or realizing that when the occasion comes (as it did) that field dressing a duck isn’t as gross as you thought.
And let’s face it, after taking the meat from a duck, cracked hands don’t seem like such a big issue.
The audio blog isn’t about change or growth. But given the amazing opportunities I’ve been given, I thought I’d make a ‘day in the life’ audio blog for prospective newsies out there. Hopefully this will help someone else make the decision to grow with KNOM.
