Southern Blend – The woods

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The woods

 

Whenever I talk about why I love living in Alabama, one of the things that I always bring up is our geography. In one state we have mountains, forests, lakes, beaches, and a bit of everything in between just short of a desert. Of course, every region has its own natural resources, but it’s different here. The pines are fresh, the lakes are oceanic in scale, and of course Gulf Shores is unparalleled in the contiguous 48. 

Maybe I’m prejudiced. When I was a kid, I deeply loved going out into the woods behind the house and exploring. I’d wander past the tree line and see what sorts of interesting things I could find. I don’t think I’m a skilled enough writer to convey just how special this place was. A vast expanse of pine needle carpeted woods scattered with limbs and bushes was my first exposure to manifest destiny. I didn’t just want to climb all the rocks out there; I wanted to become the master of my domain from the tree line to the barbwire fence that marked the property line. 

It’s not just about having this particular type of land feature near our homes that makes them special. It’s the drive we have as a culture to know this land. We don’t just acknowledge our territory – we come to know it intimately. 

I lived in the suburbs a few years back. Every house in its own variation of the same color palette with its postage stamp of HOA-approved grass and matching mailboxes wore on me. Even at the time I’d recognize it wasn’t the best fit for me personally – “I need more trees than people around me,” I’d say. It makes an impact, having the solitude of woods around you. Not only does it satisfy that animal need for shelter, but there’s a certain benefit to being able to walk out to the mailbox in your robe and slippers, if you catch my drift. 

The world seems small these days. Everything we need to know is available to us. Anyone we want to talk to can respond immediately. Politicians and celebrities and athletes we’ve never met, nor will ever meet, live hundreds of miles away and still we follow their every step. I’m no Luddite, of course, but facts is facts. In comparison, walk fifteen minutes past the tree line straight into the woods, and you’ll be faced with the sheer enormity of this land. We are so, so very insignificant to the greater workings of the woods. We are one of thousands of animals, and our body fills the tiniest fraction of the whole thing. 

I think honestly that that explains a big difference about us as Southerners. We are less connected to the world at large, but more connected to the earth around us. We have our domain from here to the barbwire fence, and we are quite happy to be masters of that domain.