At age 18 on a cross-country ramble Matt Cochran pulled over for an evening stroll in the middle of the New Mexico desert after a long days drive. It nearly scared the ghost out of him. Thus begins an odyssey of a wayward youth on the journey to a version manhood mentored by the force of nature itself.
From childhood memories of finding solace in nature during family gatherings to thrilling cliff diving adventures. Matt’s story takes us on wander down a path of self-exploration and healing beginning with stint as a geologist and serveying to later delving into depth and eco-psychology.
But it wasn’t until a return trip some decades later to that fateful place, Three Rivers Petroglyphs in New Mexico, that Matt truly heard the nature call him into something of a discipleship. Confronting deep-seated fears, that trtansform into significant personal growth and change, Matt’s journey intertwines personal reflection with the greater question of the human experience through messages from everything from the petraglyphs to the haunting significance of the White Sands Missile Range.
Listen in as Matt explores the the geologic impact of humanity, nature’s interconnected cycles of destruction and creation, and its crucial role in both personal and collective growth - and what it means to “heed the call” when nature comes calling.
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Music in this episode by:
Jesse Gallagher - The Anunnaki Return
Mini Vandals - Over the Mountain
Density & Time - GROWTH_DECAY
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FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE INSIDE BY GETTING OUTSIDE!
You can reach Shawn through these links:
Email: shawn@ourfirstnature.com
Website: ourfirstnature.com
IG: @ourfirstnature
FB: FirstNatureFN
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