Guest Columnist

J Louis Wilhite

To exist; means to stand out from nothingness. A German philosopher in the 1880’s taught that nothing was of value-Nihilism-and therefore could be destroyed with impunity. Hitler followed this philosophy, as does Putin today. So do the gangs that run our streets…”no life is of importance, so destruction rules.”

I believe that every life has value, no matter the class or the economic status, our own included. Every new baby is of significance, every child an important addition to humanity. So our daily lives, no matter how mundane, or pedestrian, have value and are to be regarded as such.

Bob Elam

I think most people like hanging out in natural settings, it may be an exclusive resort on the beach or a primitive camping spot in the mountains but they all have one common denominator, relaxation. One of my favorite memories of hanging out was in an oversized multi colored mayan hammock strung up between two large oaks. Suspended horizontally in mid-air is a great get away in which to enjoy the open air experiences of the outdoors.

I have recently discovered that the simple hammock has evolved into a complete outdoor shelter providing protection from all the natural elements that come with outdoor living. The Einsteins of hammock design have calculated a way to construct a hammock so you can lay on your back, side or stomach without feeling like a contorted banana. Rain is shed by an integrated tarp, bugs kept at bay by heavy-duty no seeum netting and entry doesn’t require a training in gymnastics. Yes, the old hammock that left your skin looking like a product of a waffle iron has come a long way. My hammock of choice is from Hennessy Hammocks an innovator of the new age hammock. My motivation for researching and purchasing this new age hammock was so that I could keep camping with my family without the aches and pains of ground sleeping which has increased with my increasing age.

Upon receiving the new hammock, I strung it up on my woodland home site for a test run. Something amazing happened, birds sang sweeter, the sky became bluer, breezes blew cooler and I fell sound asleep. If you need a place to escape from the hectic world that we live in today, find a niche in your garden, string up a hammock and create your own personal decompression cocoon.