Today I went to this

Today I went to this creek that’s down under Forest near Medical City. It’s right next to a biking/running trail. I took some pictures and then I perched near the top of one of the sloping sides. My back was resting against one of the pillars that held up Forest. I was so happy. I thought about when I was a kid and my friend Roy and I would hike through these creeks for hours and hours. At points the water would be up to our waist. Before we went on our expeditions we packed like we were going to slay Beowulf. We had rope, canteens, flashlights, BB rifles, medical kits, compasses, watches and anything else that would fit on a belt or in a backpack. I cherished all those adventures even though we never really had a purpose. We just slogged through muddy, dirty water.

As I sat there reminiscing I began to wonder why I enjoyed such things. Did I really enjoy it or was I just following some stereotype of what a kid is supposed to enjoy? And now as an adult I was being nostalgic because I’d been socialized to enjoy nostalgia. I began to wonder what was pure and truly me about anything that I do. I thought about cavemen and what pure, non-imitative behaviors they might have had. It seems like everything we do is derivative. We are the worlds greatest Xerox machines.