avatarTricia Schimpp

Summary

The article "Take It Outside" by Tricia Schimpp is a poetic tribute to the author's father, Joseph M. Foy, emphasizing the value of nature and adventure as means to cope with life's challenges.

Abstract

"Take It Outside" is a reflective piece that celebrates the adventurous spirit instilled by the author's father, Joseph M. Foy, through his World War II search and rescue stories in Greenland. The narrative weaves personal anecdotes with a recurring call to embrace the outdoors as a sanctuary during difficult times. From the author's childhood experiences in the wild to the lessons passed on to her children, the article underscores the therapeutic power of nature. It also touches on the poignant moment when the author's father could no longer venture outside due to old age, leading to a reflective journey on life, legacy, and the vastness of the universe. The piece concludes with an invitation to readers to join Medium for access to more stories and an encouragement to contribute to The Lark, a publication for short stories and poetry.

Opinions

  • The author holds her father in high regard, viewing him as a source of inspiration and resilience.
  • Nature is presented as a healing force, capable of providing solace and clarity in times of stress or sorrow.
  • The article suggests that engaging with the outdoors is beneficial not just for individuals but also for families and children, fostering growth and understanding.
  • There is a sense of nostalgia and loss associated with the father's inability to go outside in his later years, highlighting the importance of cherishing moments spent in nature.
  • The author believes in the power of storytelling, as evidenced by the impact of her father's tales on her worldview and writing.
  • The piece conveys a sense of continuity and connection between generations through shared experiences in the natural world.
  • The author encourages readers to support writers by becoming Medium members, indicating a belief in the value of shared stories and the writing community.

Take It Outside

How to cope with life’s challenges

Photomontage by author

Joseph M. Foy was a great storyteller. I grew up listening to his adventure tales about his duties during World War II as a search and rescue sergeant on the frozen arctic tundra of Greenland. He sparked in me the spirit of adventure as we sought out all places wild, from the jungles of Florida to rock-strewn canyons of the Southwest. But, most of all, he inspired me to take it outside!

Take it outside

When tensions rise, and you want to yell what the hell, take it outside

When you get the job blues, don’t like the daily news what the hell, take it outside

When kids get rowdy and the weather’s cloudy what the hell, take them outside

Take it outside Take it outside

In freezing arctic weather, he put rescues together World War II was hell, but it took him outside

By air in ski-clad plane, by land on husky sled over jagged glaciers he led and found them outside

He learned to live with troubled times found peace to give when he took it outside

Take it outside Take it outside

From rugged mountains to spring-fed fountains we found the wild, he took me outside

I grew up lucky with a dad like that answers were found by the resounding sound

Take it outside he said Take it outside

Years later and miles apart, I knew the pain of a hungry heart my children grew, they learned, they knew

Take it outside I said Take it outside

There came a time when the old man stopped time is cruel, it robbed his fuel

He missed the outside, couldn’t take it outside I took his hand by the hospital door

Memories, memories, memories more took us outside

With more to know, it was time to go so, what the hell, he took it outside

To the Milky Way and the Great Beyond in a Universe vast, he was moving fast

From him to me and me to you the Earth is old, but we are new

So, what the hell Take it outside!

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Poetry
Life
Outside
Life Lessons
Self Improvement
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