START THE GARDEN, THE GOLD AND OUR GREAT ADVENTURES continued from previous page
been doing any of these things had we not become fascinated by the legend of Forrest Fenn and his bronze chest full of gold and jewels.
THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE
In June of this year it was announced that someone else had found the treasure. Of course, Eric and I were disappointed. But after a long phone call, we were comforted by the countless number of great stories we’d collected over the past year and a half. So much so, that I decided to write about it for my college magazine. You can read the story here (www.magazine.northwestern.edu). I hope you do. In the process of working on the piece, going back and forth with the editors, one of them asked a question: “Why [is it] two grown men felt so passionately about the quest that they decided to embark on it?” It was a completely reasonable question. But it bothered me for some reason. Who wouldn’t want to go on a Rocky Mountain adventure looking for hidden treasure? I continue to ask myself variations of that question. Why is it that we are too often completely satisfied experiencing the world solely through the two-dimensional screen of a television, or a laptop, or a phone? After a while, doesn’t it begin to feel second-hand? We settle for the essence or appearance of the experience, but not the experience itself. I’m no Luddite. We need technology, just as our ancestors needed the first technology: fire. But like our ancestors, we should understand that all technologies are only as good as our wisdom to use them. In other words, the same fire we use to cook our food can be used to burn down our neighbor’s house. That’s the problem. As the paragon of animals, we should know better. Alas, there is no other creature great or small that builds gilded cages as well as we do—whether it’s tethering ourselves to our phones or cementing ourselves in front of our televisions and computers. Likewise, there’s no other animal doing as much damage to the planet as us. Which begs the question: Have all of these second-hand experiences skewed our judgment?
The Tree of Knowledge may have provided vast intelligence, but our first taste of Wisdom came from experience, as it usually does. It was the consequences of our actions that got us the boot from Paradise. But what if we actually never left Paradise? What if it was just another one of the serpent’s tricks? By every definition and measure, our Earth is Paradise. Our best astronomers employ our greatest technologies, searching the heavens for something else like it, only to come up short, again and again, in one way or another. In the apparent endless vastness of space, our Earth is uniquely fit for us, the human race.
PARADISE FOUND
When I first started looking for Fenn’s treasure, there was a waterfall I pinpointed on maps as a possible location. I began picturing it in my mind while driving around town, while at work, or before going to bed. Photos weren’t good enough; I had to see it for myself. So I flew out West in winter and Eric and I hiked miles through the snow to get to it. It was worth the effort. In a way, that frozen waterfall became my Garden. My slice of Paradise. It is still a location I carry with me—a place and time I go to where everything stands still. It may sound weird, but when life presents stressful situations, I think about the serene beauty of that frozen waterfall. The stillness of it all. I can thank Forrest Fenn for that. The Devil may have bribed us out of Paradise—or tricked us into thinking that we left, when maybe we didn’t. Perhaps taking a cue from the snake, Fenn turned the tables. He bribed thousands to go out into the wild to look for treasure—and, in the meantime, rediscover a piece of Paradise. Sure, technologies can connect us with each other. Those benefits come from our knowledge of things. However, the Great Outdoors can connect us with ourselves and something greater than us all. That’s something altogether different, but equally as vital. Taking a cue from Forrest Fenn, we’re offering a bribe for your adventures. To the right are directions to our Adventure Story Contest. We want to hear about your first-hand experiences. Where did you go? What did you find? Who knows? Maybe you’ll win a cool prize for your efforts!
PRESENTED BY:
Perhaps you have a story of your own treasure hunt. Or some other intriguing adventure? Then share it with us and have a chance for your short story to be published in the November 2020 issue of Out & About Magazine. The adventure can be fiction or non-fiction, just make sure it’s compelling. Entries will be judged on content, entertainment value, originality and style. Following are the other requirements: • Must be original and unpublished and no longer than 2,000 words. • You must submit in electronic format (no handwritten entries). • No stories containing explicit sex or excessive violence/cruelty. To be considered, entries must be received by Oct. 1. Send your entry to Contact@TSNPub.com. Subject line: Adventure Story Contest Submission. Winner will be announced in the November 2020 issue of Out & About Magazine. The Grand Prize Winner will receive: REI Kingdon 6 Tent, a $50 Shop Rite gift card for supplies & a gift card to Ted's Montana Grill to celebrate.
• Include your name, phone number and email — By entering the contest, author gives approval for his or her story to be published in Out & About Magazine. The winning entry may be edited for publication. Entries will not be returned so entrants should keep backup copies of their stories on file.
