The Stranger I Met Today

I don’t know about you, but I spend too much time at my desk. I stare at a computer for a large portion of my workday. Every week, I keep my fingers crossed that I don’t end up developing a protruding back hump in a year or so from too many hours hunched over a keyboard. I’ve been trying to find more physical activities, preferably right after work, to combat some of that daytime, computer-centric inactivity. 

When I found out that there was a ‘Moonlight Hike’ in a local state park, I thought a little walking on a brisk February evening could delay my impending hump by a day or two. I called Bellevue State Park, in Wilmington, and reserved spots for me and my husband, Vince. 

We waited in the Arts Center, with a family of four, for the tour of the grounds to begin. Our hike guide introduced himself as Ben, our ‘naturalist’ for the evening, and led us to the out of the Arts Center to a trail that would take us to the Cauffiel House. Once the hike was underway, Ben encouraged us to look for nocturnal animals that could be on the move.

There was a little boy, maybe four or five years old, in the family that walked in front of us.  The boy was specifically interested in spotting an owl and asked Ben every few minutes, as he pointed into the trees or across navy blue fields if an owl was “out there”.  The little boy’s inquiries, his voice full of wonder, were adorable.  We came across some deer on our walk (they were surprisingly unfazed by our presence) and the little boy and his big sister whispered to each other excitedly.  After the wildlife experience, the big sister took the hand of the little brother and continued to walk along, discussing the adventure. This raised the adorable factor by about a million. 

As we walked through the quiet grounds, Ben explained the difference between diurnal (animals that are awake during the day and sleep at night), nocturnal (animals that sleep during the day and are awake at night), and crepuscular (animals that are most active during dawn and dusk). He talked about the names of the moons, February is the Snow Moon, and even indulged the kids in a talk about what it would be like to live on the moon. The hike was fun and interesting. 

Lesson Learned

Did I learn a little bit about the park, animals, and the moon? Yes. 

Did I learn about all the other educational programs they offer at Bellevue?  Yes.

But, the most important thing that I learned is that there are, in fact, families that spend time together learning about the origins of the full moon names (full moon names were given by the Native Americans to keep track of the seasons).  After seeing so many reports on the unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles of Americans, especially children, walking alongside this family delighted me. Dad, Mom, daughter, and son could have sat at home, letting the television or computer provide conversationless entertainment. Instead they chose a heart-healthy activity that involved history, science, and spending time together. 

How fantastic.