10/3

Mt. Smilemore for Mt. Rushmore    
“We shall all be changed in the twinkling of an eye.” Or is it an “I”? This is my second visit to the Badlands of South Dakota. Before we arrived to our campsite we had the opportunity to visit a Lewis and Clark Museum. The landscape here is absolutely amazing. For me the visit has already enhanced my opinion of this place as we are situated next to a small but quaint amphitheater that is used for park events.
The bugs are playing the strings, a cool wind is blowing, and the sun is beginning to set over the horizon. We’ve had a good chunk of van time over the last couple of days but it’s an evening like this that will make you forget it all. I am reading a book where the author claims she always has had a hard time “clearing” her mind and instead she prefers to “lose” her mind. I am beginning to understand where she is coming from.
Journals, lessons, chores, and the like continue to keep us busy while cat naps and the sweet sounds of Marvin Gay and John Butler keep us sane. Today I learned what a “Prairie Pothole” is and the sort of role it plays in the environment. You should look it up – they’re actually pretty cool!
Peace
Denver Murphy

10/2

“Rules are for fools”

It seems that people think that following all the rules will always come with a bit of security, and maybe success. Sure, it is comforting to know you are following a certain set of guidelines or rules, whatever it may be. Is it not? Maybe following the rules is comforting because of the fear of failure. One thing I can assure you of is that there are an endless amount of reasons people follow rules. It could be because of a past experience, a risk, danger, or consequence. I think that the word rules involves more than just a standardized set of words that explain limits or expectations. Rules, or an expected way of doing things, acting or reacting, become programmed into our brains through a number of experiences. Getting hurt, breaking something, taking all the blame, staying safe, doing it “the right way” because you know it works and will avoid failure. Well, there are times to follow the rules, but beware of being trapped inside these metaphorical boundaries. There is more than one right way of doing things and there are plenty of new experiences to be had. So, step out of the boundaries and you comfort zone when you see fit, expand your mind, learn from mistakes, and learn from success. Harness new experiences and use them to your advantage. A wise man named Paul Petzoldt claims, “Rules are for fools.” Make that your own.
-CDM

10/1

I’m writing in the van so this looks terrible, it’s much harder to write in than I thought. Yesterday was hectic but we all muscled up and did what we had to. Free time Friday night and Badlands Saturday morning, what a schedule. It’s hard right now to put thought into this entry cause we are all crammed in this van, and even though it will probably stink later down the road right now I feel great and the energy is really high! So its short and simple, but right now I just wana hang with my ECOEE crew.

Pat Croke