As I ran along this pristine stretch of singletrack, I fell in love with my local trails all over again today. After a week of dark and gloomy days, the sun was out, bathing the trail in dappled light,the dirt and mulch that make up the trail was soft underfoot and my exploratory route led to a new linkup of trails, which allowed me to run even further than I had planned, without ever having to step foot on pavement, or retrace my steps. In short, it was a perfect run and was a great reminder that I love running in Victoria.
It's interesting that I needed to be reminded of that, after all, Vic is considered one of the most desirable cities in Canada to live in with its mild climate and stunning scenery, but I'm definitely guilty of falling prey to the "grass is greener" syndrome. I lust after the tropical weather and alpine vistas that I see others playing in as I get a sneak peek into their "virtual lives" through Facebook, or their blogs. This lust for being somewhere else and envy at the adventures that others have, comes at the cost of not really appreciating what I can do in my own backyard and is one of the problems with the "connected life".
I won't deny that there are many virtues with being connected, I get most of my information from the internet these days. Reading blogs inspires my adventures and often motivates me to get out the door, it also frequently informs what I do when I eventually head out, the problem happens when I start to feel like others have it better than I do.
The virtual illusion that Facebook and blogs allow people to create, has an interesting way of making you feel like others are leading a more interesting life than you. After all, these mediums conveniently allow the "sharer" to create an idealized caricature of themselves. Status updates are interesting, positive and chipper, posted photos capture the most memorable moments of their lives, most of what is shared is offered up without context, leaving out the unglamorous and mundane details, with facts overstated and frequently made up, in a polished perspective that they want others to see. On top of this, apparently humans are hardwired to overestimate how happy others are, a perspective that is summarized in a quote by Montesquieu: "If we only wanted to be happy it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, which is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are."
I'm not so naive to think that after running in cold and rainy days for five days in a row, my feet tattooed with mud that won't wash off and my shoes permanently damp, as their stink wafts to to greet me every time I enter my front door, that I won't let my mind wander to some idealized place, with warm weather, long steep singletrack trails and permanently blue skies, but hopefully I will remember that the grass isn't always greener and that my backyard is an alright place to play, especially on days like today.
***This blog post was inspired by this article: The Anti-Social Network
5 comments:
I really loved this post. I felt the same way about my hometown (Montreal), so when I left I thought the entire world is better. And it's true, Australia and New Zealand have so much to offer. However, when I return to MTL for a few months, I hope to see it with the same perspective that you do of Victoria. There's still a lot to explore about my hometown and its surrounding areas. I am going to consider myself an outdoor tourist when I return, and take the time to visit all the trails and tracks I never did when it was "just my home". Cheers.
Great post, mate, and a useful reminder.
On the topic of the tendency to post only positive snapshots of our lives, I find myself somewhat torn by a tension there. Though I tilt towards honesty and a belief in sharing the bad along with the good, I often pull the bad back in, worried that no one wants to hear about that stuff, or that it will be seen as complaining. Perhaps it's the British stiff upper lip in my family background. Or a desire to cultivate the positively skewed lens you describe. Or something else. As I sit here I realize I'm not sure the reason, but you've given me some food for thought.
(Also re: your run - would love to hear about this loop you've hooked up.)
Funny, I'd been thinking a bit about the truth in blogging thing myself.
Just the other day I posted a nighttime photo with some smog over Denver CO, and somebody commented that they were a bit surprised because the skies in all my other photos were so clear. Part of that was just coincidence and location (most of the stuff I do is not actually in "the city").
But part of it is selectivity. I don't necessarily want to hide the way things are, but I don't seek out everything equally. It's the same reason I don't run in junkyards, I run in on trails in the hills/mountains.
Regardless, I think it's important not only to be somewhere you like, but to appreciate what you have.
BTW, I had a housemate years ago who grew up in Ladysmith. He said it was beautiful up there.
"like"
Well said Adam.
I have a lot of the same feelings that you mention, and it's so easy to want to grab at all the things everyone else seems to 'have' while not looking down at your own two feet.
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