Is Adventure good for the Soul? Are YOU up for an Adventure? What does it mean to go on an Adventure, or to have an Adventure? Do you know when you're in the midst of it? Why do we think Adventure has something to do with going out into the WILD and exploring? Does it involve an encounter with the unknown? Does it scare or intimidate you? What's the biggest Adventure of your life? If you want to do some Soul-Work, you might try Adventure.
What is Adventure? The etymological trail is from the Middle English, aventure <Old French <Vulgar Latin adventura, "a happening" <Latin advenire, "to come to, arrive"
But it's so much more interesting... The word "Adventure" has had an Adventure! Oh, my goodness.
Around the High Middle Ages, the term had more to do with fortune or luck, suggesting a sort of risky "kick" to it (Aventure, auenture "that which happens by chance, fortune, luck," from Old French aventure). But earlier usage, from about the 11th c., "Adventure" was more banal - a "chance, accident, occurrence, event, happening," from Latin adventura (res) "(a thing) about to happen," from the feminine of adventurus, future participle of advenire "to come to, reach, arrive at." This is from the Latin prefix, ad "to" + the verb, venire "to come" (from a suffixed form of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root *gwa- "to go, come"). Just that: Blah. "Arrival." No biggie. But Adventure was originally all about the Journey, and the Journey was perilous. Or a miracle. Or both.
The meaning became more associated with "risk; danger" (a trial of one's chances), around 1300 C.E., and "Adventure" morphed into more of a "perilous undertaking" (late 14c.) to a "novel or exciting incident, remarkable occurrence in one's life." (https://www.etymonline.com/word/adventure)
Earlier in journey sagas, Adventure also meant "a wonder, a miracle," legends of marvelous travels. These are tales of wondrous passages through unknown, perhaps terrifying places. Will the hero survive and reach the final destination?
Probably "Adventure" is most closely associated with ancient epics, like Gilgamesh (c. 1800 BCE), and the hero's journey. Think Homer's Odyssey (8th-7th c. BCE) with Odysseus' perilous journey back to Ithaca. Its popularity coalesced through the "Golden Age" of Adventure novels of the late 19th-early 20th c., featuring tales of derring-do. Think Alexander Dumas, Rudyard Kipling, Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jules Verne, and Jack London, to name a few. (https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/qdtarchive/why-do-we-say-adventure/) Who were the heroes/heroines of your favorite classic Adventure stories? Who are your heroes and heroines now? How do they embrace Adventure?
Adventure propelled us into the untamed wilderness from the comfort of our living rooms with Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom on t.v. in the 60s-70s. We didn't have to go exploring in Nature; we felt the exotic pull of terrifying jungles and ferocious forests, blooming deserts and fierce mountains, mysterious caverns and caves, and lush rainforests, teeming with life. It all felt so real, so near, like we could reach through the t.v. screen and scream! Of course, we missed the benefits of actually going outside for Adventure.
In the 60s-70s t.v. era, we were also drawn down for a nautical plunge of epic proportions. Ala Jules Verne.
The ocean-exploring ship Calypso catapulted us into the deep blue sea, courtesy of the French naval commander, Jacques Cousteau. John Denver, 70s songwriter/singer, environmental advocate and troubadour of Earth, immortalized the sea-faring Calypso crew in his sung tribute, "Calypso." "Aye, Calypso, the places you've been to, things that you've shown us, the stories you tell! Aye, Calypso, I sing to your spirit! The men who have served you so long and so well!"
Space was the final frontier for Adventure in the late 20th c. with Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek," and George Lucas' "Star Wars" sagas featuring Jedi-in-training, Luke Skywalker. Star Trek's mission - "To boldly go where no one has gone before!" and Star Wars' "May the Force be With You!" set the stage for the later Pixar animated Buzz Lightyear from "Toy Story" - "To Infinity and Beyond!" Sci-fi represented a remarkable comeback for the Adventure genre as we leaned into the future. "Doctor Who," "Back to the Future," and later, "The Librarians" made time travel adventurous, and even world-altering. It's still sexy to be adventurous. Again, through VR or a screen?
What about today? If you're up for an Adventure, what are you signing up for, anyway? And is it good for us?
Adventure is for Soul-Work beyond our narrowly-defined selves. It's what gets us out of our cave of self-delusion and certitude. It's the antidote to insular thinking and myopia. It connects us to the wider "We."
Adventure might be a journey to some place, some time, to your own interior depths, to some undiscovered imaginary realm, or to Nature's Wilderness. It might be the experience of a new vocational path, new relationship, new home, new interests. It might be all of these. Adventure might be taking a first, fierce step into the potent present moment.
I love to invite people to experience Adventure in any form possible, especially Adventures in Nature. Befriend "Nature's Lost." Why? Because it gets us outside of ourselves. It gets us moving, thinking, feeling, imagining, exploring, wondering, delighting. Nature slakes the Soul-thirsty sojourner. DRINK!
Adventure is most definitely good for us! It ignites the imagination, energizes us, and activates our full sensorium. It allows us to live in the realm of what's possible, what's potential, what's deeper, what's yet to be discovered. Adventure takes us out of our comfort bubbles. It gives us the "leaning forward" energy (Yang energy) that propels us into something new, something meaningful for our depth-starved soul. It fills us with excitement for exploration, discovery, and surprise. It stimulates personal growth, and gives us fodder for sharing something worthwhile with our friends and mates.
More than that, Adventure in Nature is truly energizing. Salvific. Adventures in Nature stoke our imagination, and activate our sensory awareness, regulate our respiration, lower our BP and heart rate, and cortisol levels, reducing stress and anxiety. Adventures in Nature stimulate our sense of well-being and equanimity, and our connection with a much wider "We." Natural adventures make us physically fit, psychologically resilient, and emotionally charged with wonder and gratitude. By immersing ourselves in Nature, we benefit from healthier relationships, a catalyzed intellectual curiosity, and even better, a deep, restful sleep.
Now, "Are YOU Up for an Adventure?" Maybe it's time to get LOST in Nature!
In the process, you just might water the Soul.
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