Talking About Death
There’s a unique gravity that settles over a retired veterans campsite when we gather around the fire, long after the flames have burned down to a bed of glowing embers. Thoughts of a camping veteran often drift toward the inevitable, our own death. To an outsider, this morbid preoccupation might seem jarring but around the campfire, it’s as natural as passing the camp coffee for us old timers in our 70’s and 80’s. For those who carried the weight of service, the wilderness offers a rare, unobstructed mirror. The peace and quite of the outdoors and the night sky provide a stark reminder of our remaining years. We also tend to be reminded of all the things we might be leaving undone.
Some retiring camping veterans have spent their youths intimately acquainted with death. We’re the men and women who survived. We carry the invisible ledger of fallen friends or deceased relatives. Discussing our own deaths openly is not an expression of despair, but an act of stewardship and camaraderie. It’s a way to reclaim and acknowledge the unknown ticking clock of our lives. Sometimes it’s a peaceful certainty to be faced with dignity, humor or a shared understanding. Our brothers and sisters around this campfire share mixed emotions. It’s hard not to wonder, if our watch, deployment, our tour is almost over.