fnLOCAL

New research has found people who have a wilderness experience gain a sense of clarity about their lives… www.abc.net.au

This article from the ABC caught my eye. I’ve often thought this to be true not only for adults but for kids as well. As a primary school teacher I’ve met a few boys in the past who I think would benefit enormously from a trek out bush. They are the ones with very little respect for adults, the ones who throw tantrums if they don’t get their way or what they want. What they need is a couple weeks out west in a dry deserted bit of country with someone like an older (60-ish) friend of mine called Jeff. The experience would teach them what is important in life, i.e. water, not wii. It would teach them to respect the person who has gone before them and who knows best. Respect includes a certain amount of fear. Taken away from their creature comforts, away from familiar surroundings, they would have to rely on that adult for survival. It would ween them off all the external stimuli that they “need” to avoid “boredom”. (Only boring people get bored – don’t ever forget that!) I’m sure that after just two weeks they would come back as different kids. Perhaps Mr Marcus Morse could do a study on that one and get back to me with the results.