They named the Teddy Bear after him, but this man was no cuddly child's toy. Theodore Roosevelt was a Renaissance Man in every sense of the word. A man of many talents. Of course, he's best known for being the 26th President of the United States, but do people know that he was a war hero and medal of honor winner as a cowboy member of the Roughrider Calvary Unit? This man oozed macho masculinity. Famous for being an outdoorsman, historian, avid reader, author, boxer and explorer. He even studied judo while in office. Yes, you read that correctly. Teddy had a third degree brown belt.
President Roosevelt often said that he enjoyed, "living the strenuous life" in the natural world. This meant he had a lifelong interest in hiking, horseback riding, swimming, mountain climbing, camping, hunting, rowing and fishing. He believed in adventure and the rugged lifestyle, but he also admired the solitude and healing aspects of nature. He called it "perfect freedom."
So, is this a riff on the need for exercise? Or, a riff on being a Renaissance Man? Not really... This is a riff on enjoying life outdoors. You see, Teddy had asthma as a child and wasn't allowed to leave the house. In response to his physical weakness, he decided to embrace a strenuous life as an adult. We can learn something from this outdoors-man.
No comments:
Post a Comment