Wandering Aimlessly

 

Maine 2016

by Phil Burkhouse

 

Our local doctor turned 87 last week, and a happy birthday goes out to the “Doc.”  If you are a lifelong resident of Cameron County over the age of 30, there is a good chance the good doctor was present when you made your earthly debut.  As I close in on seven decades of life on Earth, Doc serves as a mentor, as an example of someone who enjoys life and still has the desire to be a woods walker.

When I was in my middle years I would listen to elder hunters relate that they had lost their desire to hunt.  They still enjoyed wandering aimlessly, also referred to as taking their gun for a walk, but they had little or no desire to harvest a critter.  I remember thinking that would never happen to me, but if the grandkids did not want to hunt and fish, I probably would now only cruise the woods with a camera.  I know of only a handful of aging hunters who still have the desire to actively participate in the hunt.  That desire in these elder statesmen may have dulled from their earlier adventures in life, but they still get out there, and I admire them.  Those hunters are an inspiration, and Doc falls into this category.

 

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