Navigating Risk From Hawaii to Colorado
Growing up in Hawaii, most of Olivia Taylor’s fondest memories were outside. “My dad turned our backyard gully into our own paradise. He tiered off the steep drop, and we planted a sunflower patch. Then as you walked down the ramp he had carved out of that vibrant red dirt, you happened upon his pride and joy: a papaya tree grove.” As Olivia describes it, the gully was a place with considerable risk, from stinging centipedes and trickster mongeese to wild boar and fast-moving water that filled the gully whenever it rained.
“Danger seemed to be all around, but as a child, I don’t remember fear. In fact, the first emotion that I recall is feeling so very safe in the gully. I knew the path, and my parents did a great job of educating me of the potential hazards.” Always within shouting distance, her parents let Olivia explore on her own. “I think the trust that I felt both from them and in myself and my abilities was a huge building block in my confidence.”
Olivia wants that now for her own child. She recently moved to Colorado Springs with her wife and four- year-old son Lucas, eager to explore what the landscape has in store for them. One of their challenges is finding a way to safely enjoy a hike or a nature walk with Lucas, who is autistic. “He has so many interests, and I love discovering his gifts every day. Within our daily routine, he is a very happy boy. However, we are still working on him responding to safety cues. He doesn’t look when you say his name or things like “stop.” If he were to get lost, he couldn’t tell a stranger his name or phone number. Like many other autistic children, he has problems with elopement and will take off running without warning.”
Olivia says planning ahead is key. “Our task is to research each trail we choose, and sometimes we have to call it off if we arrive and conditions aren’t ideal, like too many people or cliffs. I never set out to be a helicopter parent, so I hate when I realize that I am hovering a bit. My dream for Lucas is for him to feel the peace and safety that I remember feeling in those magical gully days.” To get outside, Olivia’s family focuses on smaller scale outings: neighborhood walks or wide-open fields. “Even in the concrete jungle of our very suburban neighborhood, we have found nature. Lucas stumbled upon a marsh on one of our walks. It was tadpole season and for weeks he would dart over to check on his frogs. And even though I hated when he did so, I would let him splash in the filthy water and throw rocks off the drop-off as I held his waist all the while.”
Olivia suggests to folks struggling to get outside, “Don’t let the images of a picture-perfect nature family stop you from getting started.” It can get messy, literally. And sometimes that can lead to the moments when kids are the most content.
