When my scouting colleague Charlie and I looked at our haphazard structure, a sapling tied to the ground with sticks and leaves piled on top we smiled. It looked suitable to shelter two people, until the weather changed. When the heavens opened up and torrents of rain came lashing down, any semblance of “waterproofing” quickly failed. In the early morning hours, thunder and lightning arrived, forcing us to retreat from our rapidly deteriorating structure to canvas tents in camp. On future hiking and backpacking trips, back up plans, redundancies, and learning to adapt quickly became priorities.

Learning to adapt is not merely something that pertains to being ready for any situation in the backcountry. Personal growth and adaptation is an indispensable skill on the road of life. My Eagle project involved obtaining materials and services from my local government, learning how to work within these institutions is not a skill mastered in the classroom. On the path to completing my project, trying to establish meaningful communication with my town’s bureaucracy was a challenge in and of itself. My email’s outbox had probably ten times more emails sent out than would ever appear in my inbox. Many town agencies’ phones go straight to voicemail, where town employees listening to the messages must have come to know me well but neglected to ever call back. The temptation to throw up my hands and say “to hell with it” was present but a part of me knew the larger goal at hand demanded some attitude adjustment. Patience and understanding that I was not the only person who needed help in the town was humbling.

I spent part of my scouting career as a headstrong individual with some uncompromising views. In middle school I rejected the religious upbringing I had been brought up with and was convinced the only correct take on the world is that the universe was a cold, random, godless one. Despite how these convictions are in juxtaposition to the Boy Scout’s religious overtones, I still came to our weekly meeting in the United Methodist Church’s basement. My continual exposure to religious individuals in my Troop and the great works they do to help others helped soften my view. I was not by any means “a better person” because I rejected God. I toned down as a result of  being in contact with a broad, diverse circle of individuals who I am glad I didn’t reject. I adapted to have the best relations possible with those around me.

Expanding the scope of my view on the world while learning skills on how to adapt and plan for it makes who I am a substantially better individual. I need to understand my world more carefully through experience. With an expanded world view, I realize I must further my experiences and encounters with others in order to prepare and adapt for life’s challenges.