Good Tuesday Morning!
Today's post is a bit of a callback to my recent "thoughts on wilderness" (haven't seen that? click here!) write up. I had the chance to go to Ohiopyle State Park, just north of Morgantown, on a weekday afternoon. I enjoy Ohiopyle - although it isn't West Virginia, it's still pretty good - but I normally find my way there on weekends, and it always seems terribly busy. On this day, I rolled into town with gorgeous weather, flowers blooming everywhere, and water in all the creeks - and had it all to myself.
At first this made me very happy, a chance to get some "front country" nature without the people! But after walking around for a few hours, a new thought dawned on me - are we all "weekend warriors"? "Living for the weekend"? This thought made me a bit discouraged for a few reasons. First off, I love a good days work. I like contributing in the ways I can - but I would not characterize myself as "living to work" - and yet, sometimes, that's what it feels like we do. We push all week, watching beautiful days stream by, to flock to woods with everyone else on the weekends - and that's assuming the weather cooperates. I greatly enjoy my work - so I shudder to think about what this feels like for folks that don't.
I'm not sure what the answers are there, though it's hard for me to believe that we were put here to work and toil at things we don't see value in, to pay taxes and die. I do think some other countries around the world have it right - more mandatory vacation, if you work overtime you have to take if off as "comp time" - and these are countries with as good a standard of living as we have, so it doesn't seem like they are losing anything in that approach.
Heavy thoughts on a simple waterfall shot.
This is Cucumber Falls, at Ohiopyle State Park - and may be my favorite personal capture of this beauty. Only thing wrong with it is that it's on the wrong side of the border. ;)
Midweek at Cucumber Falls - Pennsylvania