Merely The Beginning
“Wherever we go in the mountains, or indeed in any of God’s wild fields, we find more than we seek.”
In May of 2020, during the pandemic, Bryan and I were brainstorming about collaborating on a podcast. The project has taken root as you are now reading a blog post on our website. Both Bryan and I love stories and the outdoors. Though we have several common interests from cycling, hiking, books, and movies, the one thing that tops them all is fly fishing, particularly fly fishing for various trout species. I think it is due to the habitat necessary for a trout's survival. Most species of trout require water temperatures below 68 degrees for optimal health and growth. To find those kinds of temperatures, you will likely be surrounded by beauty. Plainly put, trout live in beautiful places. It is these places that we love; they seem to draw out of us thought and reflection. Both of us have experienced healing in the waters where trout live—stories about which you will hear soon.
The Storied Outdoors offers us an opportunity to write, be creative, and do what we can to interject beauty into the world in which we live. As we say, "find clarity in the stories we tell and the adventures that shape us."
“Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wilderness, is a deeply spiritual longing written onto the soul of man. ”
Adventures in the outdoors planned and unplanned have a way of shaping us. When we take time to process our story, we find clarity in the adventures; as we reflect on them, we see how they shape us. The Storied Outdoors takes time to examine our adventures through essays and interviews to draw out the clarity that has shapes us.
I am glad we say "somewhere" between Lewis and Tolkien and Lewis and Clark. The "Somewhere" is vague enough for me to feel comfortable saying that phrase. Bryan, having his Doctorate and a much more accomplished writer than I, dreamed up that phrase. I love it, but am also terrified to speak it. I suppose I feared that people would expect the brilliance of those great men of literature and exploration. I am barely a mediocre writer but have a deep love and admiration for all four of those men. Tolkien’s stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, full of imagery, creativity, and humanity are timeless and never get old to me. Likewise, C.S. Lewis's writings continually shape me as I attempt to live out my faith with fear and trembling. Though the literary bar those guys set is too high for me, they will be quoted many times in the pages of our essays and heard in our conversations.
The exploration and adventures of Lewis and Clark inspire both Bryan and I. Our hope is that in the pages and conversations of this endeavor, we document some of our own adventures. For centuries, humankind and its history survived due to an oral tradition, but with the creation of the printing press and technology beyond, the recorded history began. However, the art of journaling, letter writing, or sharing of stories now relies on the mercy of social media. Or worse yet, emojis.
The words of C.S. Lewis bring clarity to why story is so crucial, "The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth—the very thing the whole story has been about." Much of our writing will reflect on what God is teaching us and how the outdoors are declaring the glory of the Lord. It is a robust and lively journal of reflection, stories, struggles, and fun in The Storied Outdoors.
The podcast is an ode to the "oral tradition," bringing our reflections, struggles, and fun to life. They won't be flashy, likely not as eloquent as others, but they will be genuine. The interviews will attempt to introduce you to folks you have never heard of and stories largely untold. Now, there will be a couple of guests, with any luck, you might have heard of who are considered famous by some. In truth, we don't know that many "famous" people, but we do know some good folks who have stories that deserve to be told.
