Azure_Storm Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 I'm 17, and I live in West Virginia. I used to live deep in the mountains with my family, my home being far away from any kind of civilisation. I never went to school, and my only source of education were the few books we had lying around. I taught myself to read and write from the Bible, Moby Dick, and Of Mice and Men. The hillbilly lifestyle is a very active one, and I was in better shape than most people could ever dream about. We took a lot of inspiration from the American Indians, and so we used a great many of their methods and told a lot of their tales. When I was 15 the law came and took me and my siblings away from our people, separated us and put us into foster care. The loss of my home and family caused me to have severe depression, which I cope with even today. I am lucky to have found my way into a good home, with good people, who encourage me to excel academically (I'm at the top of my junior class). But, my lifestyle since leaving home has been less than healthy; my muscles have deteriorated, and I've put on quite a bit of weight. I hope to get back into shape soon. An Indian story that I've been thinking about lately: An Indian youth was disappointed in his lack of strength, believing his weakness to displease the spirits. So he begs the spirits to give him great strength. The spirits tell him to climb to the top of the mountain, and he will find a boulder there. The told him that they would grant him the strength he desires if he can push the boulder off of the mountain. So every day for like, a year, he climbs the mountain, and pushes with everything he has to try to dislodge the boulder. Then one day he cries to the spirits, "I cannot dislodge the boulder, why have you given me such an impossible task?" To which the spirits reply, "But in pushing the boulder, you have given yourself great strength." 3 Quote Link to comment
Lydiechan Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 Welcome to the Rebellion, Azure_Storm. If there's one thing you've taught yourself, it's that you have the ability to do whatever you put your mind to. We'll be rooting for you! Quote (Already!?) Level 3 Ranger / Epic Declutterer / Prolific Writer https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/163280 "Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change." - Jim Rohn Link to comment
Guzzi Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Welcome on board. I'm sorry to hear that you've had such a difficult episode in your young life, it must be awful to be wrenched away from your family like that. Every cloud has it's silver lining though and you seem a very bright, intelligent person and it's good that you have now got the opportunity to get a real education. I hope that you are able to do wonderful things in your life Have you found your way around the forum alright? Is there anything that we can help you with? Most people take part in the 4 Week Challenges, the next one starts on the 12th if you're interested? Guzzi Quote Make Life Rue The Day Turning back the clock Recipe book 14 Life is far too short to take seriously Link to comment
White Cedar Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Welcome to you Azure_Storm. I love the name you've chosen. While I didn't have the same childhood experience as you exactly, I did spend my first five years living high in the mountains. My parents worked for the Forest Service and came down only a few times a year for supplies. As an only child at the time, I was allowed to run amok and my friends were the trees and rocks and flowers. I truly believe my love of nature and the peace I feel there was soundly imprinted then. And there's a lot of good in the old lore. When I stumbled into a ground wasp nest and was stung 100's of times, I would have died had it not been for this prospector that came along with his burro piled high with packs. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and mixed it with dirt and slathered the mud all over me. The alcohol mud pack pulled out enough of the wasp venom that I lived. One of the neat things I imagine you learned in the mountains is that life has cycles and seasons. Where some of us struggle with the process, you innately know that with time you can make any changes to your life that you want. Living in the mountains was another type of civilization and a good one. Good luck and I'm excited for you. White Cedar Quote Link to comment
WolfDreamer Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Welcome @Azure_Storm. What an excellent and inspiring story of the young Native American boy. I am from West Virginia, as well, and I have some Cherokee ancestry, so that story really resonated. If it's one thing I know it is that West Virginians are strong and we survive the stereotypes as well as the realities of Appalachian life. I celebrate your courage and your will to improve yourself while still honoring your past and how it has impacted you. The good news is that you get to create the person you want to be. Sure, our environment and the things that happen to us have an impact on us, as well, but we can control how they impact us: do they defeat us or do we overcome them? You seem like an overcomer to me. Keep strong, make decisions every day to become the person you want to be. To use your story: climb that mountain and push that boulder every day. Welcome to the Rebellion. Quote Who am I? -- My NF Character Current Challenge: WolfDreamer Enters Spartan Training Past Challenges: Spoiler Winter is Coming, Wolfen Strengthens His Heart, Body, Mind, and Spirit, Wolfen Becomes One of the People, Wolfen Strengthens His Chakras, Wolfen Welcomes Summer and Gets Primal, Soulcon and Spartan, Wolfen Develops Mental Toughness, Wolfen Joins the Wander Society, Soulcon, Spartan, School, and Stranger Things, Wolfen Becomes a Warrior Elite, Wolfen Goes Here and There and Back Again, Wolfen Becomes a Soulcon Warrior Elite, Wolfen Returns to His Roots, Wolfen Wanders in Soul, Spirit, and Body, Wolfen Owns the Day, Wolfen Searches for His Wild Heart, Wolfen Runs for His Life, Wolfen Hits the Trails, Wolfen Becomes an Explorer and Joins the Resistance, Wolfen Goes Back to the Source, Wolfen Begins the Hero's Journey, WolfDreamer Returns to the People, WolfDreamer Pushes Back, WolfDreamer Prioritizes, Burpees, Books, and Brainwork, Burpees, Books, Brainwork, and Bodywork, WolfDreamer Masters the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Continues to Master the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Returns to Sparta, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Continues His Middle Earth Adventure, WolfDreamer and the Fall, WolfDreamer Forges His Own Path, WolfDreamer Has Hope, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Reads Harder, Breathes Harder, and Journals More, WolfDreamer Embraces His Wild Poet, The Mad Poet Becomes Supernatural, WolfDreamer, The Mad Poet, Becomes Superhuman, WolfDreamer Elevates, WolfDreamer Becomes IronBorn, WolfDreamer Wakes the White Wolf, The Mad Poet Recovers by Keeping it Simple, WolfDreamer Clears His Mind to Find His Wild Heart, WolfDreamer Resets, WolfDreamer Strives to Become an Eminently Qualified Peaceful Warrior, WolfDreamer Springs Forward, WolfDreamer Returns (For Real This Time), WolfDreamer is RespaWinning, WolfDreamer Reboots, WolfDreamer Thinks About the Roman Empire “I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.” -- Jack London “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love.” -- Leo Tolstoy "I feel love rising in my chest again Rising like a burning sun into the day..." -- Gungor, "Hurricane" "...wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17b Link to comment
DyDy Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 What a beautiful story! And welcome to NF! I would love to get a more active lifestyle like you want it as well. As in the story, I think that making a decision to do something everyday is a good one. Quote Epic Quest Character | Battle Log Challenges: #1 Link to comment
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