LOU

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

LOU’S STORY

When I moved out here to this camp, at most there were maybe eight people. We cleaned up the area—it used to be so trashed. But we got our stuff and we cleaned the whole entire thing. For a long time I wouldn’t let my dog out here. I had to just about childproof my tent and my yard, because before he got his medicine he was almost completely blind. Any little stick and he would trip on it. But the eight of us cleaned up the area. You’ve got to take care of each other. If you don’t watch out for your neighbor and those around you, by God wouldn’t that be terrible? That’s the way I look at it.

I wish every parent would teach their child respect. It’s the biggest deal. You can whip a child, but that won’t help. Not really. Take them out and get them to help somebody else and they will learn. A child does something wrong and you should take them out into the woods. Let them experience nature. Then you won’t have them tearing up buildings. Let them enjoy it. That’s what we are here for. And if all the children learn respect, no matter what creed or color you are, you’re going to get the same respect that you give out. I tell people I don’t like people because sometimes when you talk truth to them, they don’t like it and they turn their backs.

I enjoy life. You know, if we all went around with a frown, without saying hi to somebody, what would that be like? If we could teach our younger generations, instead of saying, “Oh look at that poor man,” instead of feeling pity for them… go out and do the things they do. I’ve always been an outdoors man. I like coming outside and looking at nature, you know? People say, “Oh man, no, that’s nasty.” But without trees and stuff, we’d have no oxygen. I think everybody needs to just step outside. Take a weekend and rough it. You might say, “What am I going to do here?” but you’ll pick it up and learn to respect nature more than you used to. Instead of throwing trash or broken bottles, take care of it. Cause it ain’t going to be here forever. That’s what I think. You know people are just throwing their cigarette butts out—what do you imagine is going to happen? If everyone took the time and just started experiencing a little bit outside, maybe everyone gets the idea to share and enjoy. That’s what makes you gain wisdom—experience. And everyone’s in this together, you know. I wish people would pick up the place and watch out for everybody. It doesn’t matter who they are. Pick them up if they fall. Because I don’t want to be back in society. I really don’t. This is my home.

I watch out for people, and I watch my birds and you just can’t get that in the city. We had a couple hawks out here, and a couple owls, things like that. You don’t get to see that in the city, and I the way I look at it, people are robbing themselves. Because it doesn’t matter how much money you’ve got, or how big your house is, or how new your car is. We all still bleed the same way. Go out and enjoy the world—leave your things inside. I think the world would change. If you treat people right, that will spread like a virus. There are a lot of things people say that I don’t like or agree with, and you know what? Everybody has the right to their opinion. There’s a lot of people who don’t like what I have to say, but I just go with it. I’ve learned life is what you make it. It really is, and I feel a lot better than other people who don’t have this. A therapist once told me, “If you ever get so mad that you want to do something bad, just go out there and walk. You just walk. By the time you’re walking you won’t even know what you were mad about.” And it worked.