The Great Outdoors

Yesterday was my birthday, and I was kindly escorted to the hot spots of Fort Worth by my former roommate, TANK. One of our stops was the store/amusement park/symbol of American excess called Cabela's. It is an outdoorsperson's supply center in the league of the famous Bass Pro Shop. Its displays are positively amazing, consisting mostly of beautifully preserved animals arranged in elaborate scenes. Taxidermy is an art form I admire without any desire to improve my skills.

This to demonstrate that though the store purports to cater to those who love nature, its products are virtually all geared toward killing animals or providing indoor comforts in the wilderness. When we looked for the binoculars ("over here, next to the guns," said TANK), we had to walk by thousands of decoys, lures, insect repellants, and refill clips. It took us several minutes to find anything like binoculars.

There was no room in that vast store for the ones who don't particularly want to kill or expel the denizens of nature. It was hard to believe that we could be that outnumbered.

I do not propose a war on sportsmen, nor do I oppose the moderated enjoyments of hunters and fishermen. But the true way is narrow and steep, and few find it; we should not expect to find a place in their world. Many are called, but few are chosen.