For thousands of years, communities would send their young men through initiation rites. In modern times, rites of passage are all but lost and our connection to nature and spirit has been cut. Young men continually seek to be challenged. They desire deeply to know themselves through their accomplishments. Developing a sense of self from his actions, a young man travels life in search of challenge. In today’s world, boys face the modern challenges of peer pressure, grades, parents, gangs and more. Seeking to prove themselves in any way possible, boys join gangs, use violence, and talk back to elders. Young men create challenge where there is none, and in today’s world that often leads to disruptive, aggressive, uncooperative behavior. Behind much of the tension in teenage boys is a desire to know themselves through challenge.
When we travel in nature, we can seek challenge in a way that is more harmonious with our roots as hunters. Climbing mountains, throwing rocks, running up hills, digging holes, climbing trees--boys have an innate connection to these challenges. Walking all day up a huge mountain with a heavy pack is satisfying on a level way beyond what a boy can feel from a video game. As we spend more time outside, we can listen to and connect with the challenges that nature presents. Listening closely, we can hear nature and spirit call us into action. And we can know ourselves more fully through these challenges
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