In order to survive your life you have to understand yourself enough to stay alive

 For me, staying alive began when I was about 21 or 22 in college and I joined what is called: "Operation Share" which is tutoring children who need help in school through my college. By tutoring kids in my spare time I began to move in a different way which was less selfish than I had been taught to be and began my desire to help others stay alive and prosper in their lives too. So, helping others in this more formal way began my journey to helping myself stay alive too and take less risks in my life.

I can remember feeling so crazy growing up in Glendale in Los Angeles County that one day I drove my car up a mountain road and then drove down the curvy road so fast that my car was going sideways around corners and almost going off the corners to thousands of feet drops off the edge of that road. (Los Angeles has mountains 9000 feet high right next to it where I learned to ski by the way). My favorite place for this was a place called Mt. Waterman where my parents and I would hike when the snow wasn't too deep in winter and in summers and whenever we had the time to do this. So, within 45 minutes by car or motorcycle from where I lived I could be in the mountains with ponderosa Pines and if there was snow then I could also be in the snow skiing on world war II bear trap binding skis that don't release at all automatically.

I began to find myself more and more in the wilderness I found. Cities just made me and everyone else I knew crazy. But, wilderness I found I could talk with God and find some peace. I didn't really find God much in Church but I always found God in wilderness and nature and in wild animals somehow.

So, places like Yosemite and Mt. Shasta where I could be with God in the wilderness I realized I might be able to stay alive places like this and not self destruct eventually.

So, whenever I could I tried to be with Friends and God in wilderness areas where I knew I might survive my life in a good way. Luckily, part time jobs allowed me to buy myself a car and then eventually another one, a 1966 VW bug which got 30 miles to the gallon then so I could drive to Mt. Shasta with friends from Los Angeles for around 10 dollars in gas even if I had to sleep in my car or bring a tent and sleeping bag.

This began my life long love affair with Mt. Shasta and even now at age 73 I love going there and skiing or hiking or taking my KLR 650 and trailering it with a Uhaul trailer to Mt. Shasta to ride around Mt. Shasta in the summer time on dirt roads and 4 wheel drive roads. I also like swimming in mountain lakes and skiing there too and skiing across Castle lake in the winter (whenever the ice is thick enough to be safe doing this).

But, understanding myself I most easily was able to do when I was in nature away from most people except for friends or family who also loved the wilderness as much as I always have.