I suppose you’d have to be living under a rock today to not have heard something about the book and movie ‘Hunger Games’. All my kids and my wife have read them and seen the recently released movie. The girls made a special trip to the Grand Opening midnight showing with a gang of friends. I have not read the books because I was warned that I wouldn’t enjoy the fantasy of them, but something changed all that.
Darcy Egan has been writing about hunting and fishing for the Cleveland Plain Dealer since Moby Dick was a minnow. Though I’m not a hunter or a fisherman, I often read his stories because of the outdoor focus of his columns. When I noticed his story about the ‘Hunger Games’, I had to read. He wrote about the plot of the movie and the main character and heroine, a teenage girl named Katniss. He describes her as someone who learned outdoor skills “while sneaking into restricted areas to hunt, trap and gather wild plants to feed her family. She’s adroit at finding water, bowhunting, fishing, trapping, creating a fire and wielding a knife.” She lives in a post-apocalyptic America where these skills are essential to survival.
What I found particularly interesting was Egan’s hypothesis that “Hunger Games” may lead to a generation finding a reason to explore the great outdoors…attempting to learn more about the skills Katniss displays. He expects an increased interest in hunting and fishing and all the good things that happen when anyone visits the woods. He points readers to the book “Last Child in the Woods – Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv, one that I’ve read and truly enjoyed. It’s based on the premise that today’s children don’t have nearly the exposure to nature, the woods and streams that surround them, or just the opportunity to be outdoors. I read his book thinking how many of the things he described were things that I had done, but my children had not. My home backed up to woods and we played in them constantly. Salamander, turtle, frog and snake hunts were just what we did. Parents were not to be seen and there were no worries about it. Building forts in trees was the norm and there was no ‘Neighborhood’ organization to restrict this kind of play. I’ll have to reread Louv’s book along with “Hunger Games”
to see the connection, but if Egan is right and more people of any age find themselves outside and learning these skills…then it’s a good thing.
I decided on a recovery day after my long ride. I actually felt pretty good, but felt that I’d earned it…and probably needed it.
I saw this movie yesterday and I loved it! I already read book one and am onto the second one now. Highly recommend them. They are great stories, but you will probably be able to finish the book in few days because they are written for about a 7th grade reading level.
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