There’s a certain amount of loneliness involved in working and living outdoors. Often there are no companions for hours at a time or even days. There’s no chit-chat and no office grapevine. There’s no water cooler to gather by and waste some time. There’s no one to offer you a pat on the back when needed and no one to complain about or to. While most people might say they’d be glad to be away from all of that, when push comes to shove, they find themselves at a loss.
There’s a freedom to working an outdoor job of your own
creation, a joyous freedom, but freedom often brings loneliness. Many people who come from an office
environment to an outdoor environment for work quickly become confused because
that freedom is often exhausting. They
start out happy and glad to be free of the pettiness of office politics, but
they soon find themselves to be strangers in a strange land.
An outdoor life does not depend overmuch on a clock. There’s no punching in or punching out. There are no assigned duties and no
inboxes. There are no meetings and no
team-playing. There are no excuses for
illness and no one to cover your work when you’re not around. So, first and foremost, a self-made outdoor
job involves responsibility. That is
quickly followed by discipline, because if there’s no one to insist on
appearances and deadlines, it can be very easy to forget about them or simply
ignore them.
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| The Maine lobsterman is the quintessential self-made outdoor worker. |
Then there is the overlord to deal with. That would be Mother Nature. There are no roofs to keep out the rain and
snow. There’s no heating and no air
conditioning. There are no supply
cabinets and no delivery boys. There are
no delis and no stores. There are no
creature comforts, often no toilets, and certainly plenty of bugs and
animals. This is the reality of
day-to-day working and living in the outdoors.
These things sound simple enough to tackle for any adult,
but in actuality they are not so simple if you are not used to them. That’s where the loneliness steps in. Ultimately, there’s no one to blame for
anything, and once that really sinks in, the responsibility can seem
crippling. Because if there’s no one to
blame for anything--a boss, a coworker, a rival company--everything falls
squarely on your shoulders. And there’s
no one to talk to about it, either.
The cure for loneliness is simple: Hard work.
Actually, hard work cures just about any ailment, I’ve noticed. Working diligently on your own and doing your
best might not bring you friends, but it certainly brings a sense of
accomplishment and peace at the end of the day.
There is an enormous satisfaction in setting your own course and carving
your own future. A job well done of your
own volition is worth all the creature comforts in the world. There’s often no one to share your sense of
accomplishment or peace with, but peace does not require a witness.
[This statue is on Bailey Island and is dedicated to all Maine fishermen who have devoted their lives to the sea.]
