Being “Outdoorsy”
For the longest time I have enjoyed being outside while simultaneously considering my personal adventures as not being "outdoorsy" enough and expecting those who enjoy the outdoors to not be afraid of anything in it.
Summer is my favorite season and yet I have the strongest fear of bees. When camping, I am terrified that a bear is going to eat me. While hiking, I can not help but to look down out of worry that I am going to trip. However, what has helped ease my anxieties is the patience and support others around me provide and the simple realization that I have been "outdoorsy" due to my simple interest to exist in natural spaces.
I can still be outdoorsy without having the latest gear or traveling the longest distance. Being outdoorsy means simply enjoying being outside.
Within the intersectionality of being a woman and being Black, there is an expectation to lack interest in the outdoors. This can partially be explained through a historical lens of the Black experience and its relationship to nature. It can also be explained in part due to the continued stigmatization of enjoying outdoor recreations and being construed as [insert slurs that only push one away from enjoying the outdoors].
The more I am exposed to the outdoors, I do see representation. However, one has to be aware of its existence and even search for it. For example, a simple Google search of "outdoors" resulted in many pictures of the natural scene and people enjoying it and a person of color, specifically a person who is Black, is the 40th and 53rd picture of the search.
These past years have been extremely exhausting and traumatic to be seen. That is why Juneteenth has grown more necessary for me to celebrate as time passes. Due to the frequent traumatization for Black people, there is a lot of stress leaving my trusted places for fear of negative interactions and perceptions being projected.
For me personally, in some instances, having a simple moment and existing in the woods during a hike, paddling in a canoe on the backwaters, or even watering my plants, does not request proof or validation of my Black experience. Therefore, this Juneteenth will continue to harbor a lot of pride and I look forward to enjoying my moment of serenity in the sun.
