Camo is Cool

 

I have always been fascinated with camouflage.  When I was kid, I used to  dress in all camouflage and creep around the woods trying to sneak up on animals and people alike.  Slowly, I would make my way through the trees and into the brush near the edge of neighbors’ property and spy on them.  Not because I was particularly interested in what people were doing, I just wanted to see how close I could get without being noticed.

There was a thrill about sneaking.  Everything seemed to become still and quiet around me as I snaked through bushes and tall grass.  I would become very aware of my breathing and subsequently my heart beat.  The bump-bump, bump-bump, bump-bump of my circulatory system would begin to fill my senses as I approached the zone of no return.  This is where, if spotted, I would have no alibi as to why I was there.  It was no longer credible to say, “Oh you know, I was just walking in the woods, that’s all.”

In some ways, that desire has never left me.  Now that I am older, I do not sneak into people’s backyards, both because that would be very awkward if I was caught and also I would have a hard time explaining to my friends and family why I need bail money.  I do like to remain very quiet while in the woods and to watch animals.  Similarly, I find myself watching camouflaged creatures intently.  I wonder how close will they let me get before they decide their cover is blown.  How intricate their patterns can be.  It is truly a wonder to stand as still as the creature before you and marvel at the delicacy of it’s camo.