First let’s make sure we are all talking about the same thing. I’m talking about a subculture: a group of people who share a particular interest, activity, or other attribute that sets it apart from the larger, regular society to which we all belong. I’m not talking about a secret society such as the Illuminati or Skull & Bones, which is proud to have Party-Master-in-Chief George W. Bush as an alumnus.
The subculture I’ve been enjoying in recent months is geocaching. That is the global GPS-based treasure hunt hobby. As I had to explain to a very patient Sheriff Deputy a few weeks ago*, it is basically a seek and find game. People hide small containers (caches) and then provide GPS coordinates. You use a smartphone or a dedicated GPS device to go and attempt to locate the hidden container. There are no prizes or anything like that. It is just about the accomplishment of finding these often very-well hidden caches, signing the log sheet, and keeping track of your personal finds.
The most enjoyable to find are those hidden in relatively plain sight—those that normal non-cachers (commonly referred to as muggles) never notice or stumble upon. These could be along a frequently-used hiking trail, hidden on the underside of a park bench, or in the parking lot of the MARC station.
In looking at the geocache map of Odenton, there are a ton of caches in the area. And in reading the logs, there are plenty of active geocachers around these parts. I’ve just been caching with my wife, Laura, but this is a very family-friendly activity. Parents often comment on how caching gets them outside with their kids who just love the challenge of trying to find these hidden containers.
It has been the motivation to get outside that has hooked me. As part of my ongoing therapy to overcome the grips of my agoraphobia disorder, Laura and I have used short, local cache runs as a good way to get me out and into the world. It isn’t always easy, but having a fun reason to force me out of the house has already helped a lot.
Learn more at: http://www.geocaching.com/.
* On short cache run late at night, I went to find one hidden behind a medical building. I drove to the rear parking lot and parked my car. After about a minute or two looking for the cache, the deputy pulled up and shined his big spotlight on me. He politely asked me what I was doing back there, and when I told him that I was geocaching, he had that puzzled look that you really don’t want to see on a police officer who has found you around back of a commercial building. So, after a few minutes of explaining it to him and showing him the apps on my phone, he seemed satisfied. But to be sure, he ran my ID, “I just want to make sure you aren’t back here to rob the place,” he said. “And if you don’t have any warrants or anything, you’ll be on your way.”
