Inspiration in Suprising Places

I struggle sometimes to think of interesting blog posts, because I always want something original and new. However, I have found that the bests posts come unexpectedly from the most unexpected places. Last week I joined the infamous CamoSpace at the encouragement of fellow bloggers and friends. I have met alot of interesting people but I want to introduce you to one young woman who has become a friend and, after learning her story, an inspiration.

This young woman spent most of her childhood in the outdoors and fishing was her favorite pastime. However, she was never really exposed to the world of hunting. On her own accord, though, she signed up for a Hunter's Education course, did some research, talked to alot of friends, and decided she was going hunting. Her first time out she caught the hunting bug, and now she is spending her spare time in a hunting stand. Considering she didn't grow up with a hunting style and she introduced herself to the sport, my curiousity got the best of me and I had to ask her how and why hunting appealed to her. In her own words, this was her reply:

"I think, deep down, I’ve always been a hunter. When I was a little girl I was obsessed with fishing. I couldn’t stand to let a weekend go by without getting a line wet, even if it was at the local park where only the tiniest perch were to be caught. Every Saturday morning I would put on my overalls, quietly sneak into my parents dark bedroom at 6:00 in the morning, wake my dad up and ask him to take me to fishing. When the fish weren’t biting, I would spend the time catching bullfrogs and chasing lizards or just exploring the land. Being outside was where I could see my true self, be my true self. I loved the outdoors so deeply because it had so much to offer and I never found a day spent outside without reward. Nature was the best friend I ever had. I never hunted as a child; mainly because I was never exposed to it (I never even held a firearm until I was 25 years old). As I grew into adulthood and busied myself with all the adult things in life I spent less and less time outside. I began to feel disconnected with the outdoors I had loved so much, the good friend who had always been so generous, so accepting. One day I was watching a hunting show on one of the various outdoor channels and the feature was on turkey hunting. The man hosting the program was speaking about how special the time was that he spent in the woods calling those turkeys, listening, watching, and waiting. He spoke about hunting as being restorative to the soul as well as time for self-examination and resolution. It sounded like just what I needed. (Not to mention it looked like a heck of a lot of fun.) I just knew in a heartbeat that it was what I had been missing and that my old friend was calling me back home."

As you can tell from the paragraph above, we share the same passion for the outdoors lifestyle. Yet, she unknowingly encourages me to step outside of my comfort zone, try new things, and be open to new experiences that may someday turn into new passions. This young lady is my unexpected inspiration of the week and a person I will be happy to call a friend. So, where have you found the most suprising sources of inspiration?