TAKE A STEP BACK INTO HISTORY
If you have ever walked the trails of a Virgin Prairie, went exploring in a wilderness preserve, then you have taken a step back into history.
You may have been following the trail left by the mammoth quadrupeds after the primeval oceans receded, or the herds of bison as they grazed the lands rich in native grasses and foliage.
You might have walked in the footsteps of the first prehistoric man who enjoyed the bounty the land provided, who came not to subdue the land, but to live in harmony with nature.
You may have walked behind the ancient moundbuilders, whose desire it was to leave something permanent behind to mark their presence. Often you will still see these rather large, rounded mounds in the fields as you drive through the countryside of Southwest Missouri. The moundbuilders in time gave way to the stately Osages, who walked softly through the grass, wailing their morning chant of adoration to Wahtonka through the centuries. Then they greeted at first warmly, and later with disgust, the first European arrivals, who came to conquer and subdue the land and shape it in their own image and leave it forever changed.
So, when you take your hiking trips, or go exploring in wilderness preserves and virgin prairies, take a moment to reflect back on those who walked those same trails before you, then proceed with the awe and wonder of having Stepped Back Into History. Thank You
© 1998 Written August 07, 1998
