Did hiking at Philmont help prepare me for this quarantine?
It’s no secret that my experience at Philmont Scout Ranch had a life-altering impact on me. I made some lifelong friends through Philmont. I also learned some pretty valuable leadership lessons. And the inside jokes? They’re still going strong*.
We’ve been staying home for more than a week now. Even when we weren’t under government orders to stay home, we had already decided to limit our physical interaction with the outside world. It just made sense for a variety of reasons.
But that’s not my point. My point is that I’ve been able to do some thinking while we’ve been holed up in our home. As one might expect, I did eventually think of the treks I’d hiked while at Philmont.
What does the coronavirus have to do with Philmont?
Now, you might ask what the freedom of hiking through more than 140,000 acres of wilderness has to do with staying indoors for two weeks (or more). Well, I’m glad you asked. Because they really don’t have much to do with each other when you look at them on the surface. But bear with me. I think you’ll understand. And you might even agree with me.
While you’re hiking through Philmont, you’re stuck seeing the same faces every day. True, you do wind up seeing other crews and meeting staff members, but you’re still stuck with the same 10(ish) people every day. Under stressful situations, tempers can begin to flare among those 10 people. It’s not a pretty sight. I firmly believe that part of the Philmont experience is learning how to work with other people, even when you don’t like them very much.
If you’re like me, you actually like the people you’re holed up with right now. Shoot. You probably love them. I know I love the people who are stuck with me in my house. But even then, things can get a little tense. It’s bound to happen when you only see the same people all day, every day.
So I’ve been mulling this around in my head and I think that there might be some key takeaways from my Philmont experiences that might be helpful for my family. And maybe yours, too. I could be wrong. Take this for what it’s worth.
But I bet you’ll thank me for this.
I hope so, anyway.
3 key takeaways from my Philmont experiences that might help us during quarantine.
1. Drink water
You’ve got to stay hydrated. It’s not only good for your physical health. It’s also good for your emotional, mental, and even your spiritual health. Every time we took a break from our hike, water bottles were supposed to come out. We were expected to drink so much water that whenever we peed, it would be clear and copious.
When your nerves are already shot and you’re a bit on edge because of other stress, it’s easy to snap at other people and get a little cranky. Whenever this happened while we were on the trail, we’d remind each other to drink some water. Are you a bit whiny? Drink some water. Getting a headache? Drink some water. Feeling sleepy? Drink some water. Broken arm? Yeah. Go ahead and drink water.
The same is true today. Drink some water. And then maybe drink some more. It’s not the cure-all. But, man, does it help.
2. Keep a routine
If you asked me what day it was right now, I probably couldn’t tell you. The days have all run together. And the hours within these days are even more of a blur. If you don’t keep a routine – eat meals at regular times, shower, shave, go to bed at a regular hour, etc. – then you can lose track of what’s going on. That can increase your stress. And increasing your stress isn’t helpful to anyone under your roof.
Here are a few things that we did on the trail that might be helpful for you.
- Pause to show gratitude. While we were on the trail, we said Philmont Grace together before each meal. While there were times that we raced through it as quickly as we could, there was still a brief moment when we were giving thanks for what we had.
For food, for raiment, for life, for opportunity, for friendship and fellowship,
We thank thee, o Lord
Amen
From toilet paper to grocery shortages to overcrowded hospitals, it’s easy to focus on what isn’t going right. Taking a moment to give thanks can help change your day’s trajectory. I mean, what’s it going to hurt if you do this several times each day? - Debrief the day. At the end of each night, we’d gather all of the things that might smell like something a bear could be curious about and put them in big burlap sacks. We called them Bear Bags. We tied a rope around the Bear Bags and tossed the rope over a wire hanging from the trees. After tying off the Bear Bags safely away from curious bears, we would stand in a circle underneath the Bear Bag and debrief the day.
We talked about the highs and lows of the day. What went well? What needed to be fixed? Sometimes these conversations weren’t easy. But they were necessary so we could start the next day on the right foot.
Part of our evening debrief also included adding a line to our Bear Bag Chant. What’s a Bear Bag Chant? Why, it’s a chant we would shout to ward off any curious bears. Did it really work? I have no idea. But no bear ever got our Bear Bags.
I know. You want to hear part of one. I’m glad you asked.
“Shoo, bear! Shoo, bear! There ain’t no good grub hanging up there! May seem strange but we’re being nice
We’re still sick from the teriyaki rice!”
Yeah. I think all of us need a Bear Bag Chant.
3. Drink water
I’m not joking.
Staying hydrated is important. It just might keep you from going off the deep end while you’re feeling cabin feverish and stir crazy. If nothing else, the people sharing your living space will appreciate it.
Take it or leave it
I’m no expert. But I’ve learned how to make observations about how people interact. I think you should give some of these suggestions a try. What’s it going to hurt?
Endnote
*These inside jokes include: “Clear and copious.” “It’s good, though.” “A slow ooze.”
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