Why I am NOT thinking of public retirement:  ;)

I use to be one of those cachers who was very competitive with the hobby. I 
have always competed thru life in a couple of different sports, so when I 
found out about the rankings on azgeocaching.com, it was natural for me to 
want to try and 'go for it' and get to #1. For me, getting to #1 was more of 
a personal goal. After almost 3 1/2 years or so of geocaching, I achieved my 
goal and held it for about 8 months. I then picked it up again for a short 
time, going back and forth with Sprocket. I eventually let it slide and 
never really had an interest in it again. There were some up and comers that 
were really hitting caches hard and I wouldnt have been able to keep up. So 
I didnt bother trying! I already did it! Been there, done that, dont need to 
do it again! I reached my goal of #1 and I did it staying within the 
guidelines I set (no locationless, no 'armchair' caching and my name was in 
every single logbook of every single cache I ever found).

Today, I have absolutely no interest in the numbers thing anymore. I cache 
strictly for fun. After another great summer in Sedona, I was out doing the 
kinds of caches I enjoy doing most.... wilderness style caches. Hiking, off 
roading and caching. Great cache locations chosen by the hider with the 
'location' in mind. I agree with Bill on the urban caches. I dont care much 
for them either. But when I am bored, it is fun to go out and find a few. It 
is also a great way to break an otherwise boring errand run or something as 
there always seems to be a cache along the way to make a quick find and go. 
By quick, I mean quick! I dont think I have spent more than 10 minutes or so 
searching for an urban cache in a long time. If I cant find it in 10 
minutes... I move on. I dont need to find every single one anymore. I have 
driven within feet of several urban caches lately that I wasnt motivated to 
stop and look for it. 2 years ago, I wouldnt have been able to do that! If I 
deem an urban cache to be hidden in a questionable location, I will simply 
pass it up. Nowadays, I simply download all 'regular' caches into my GPS and 
go out and find a few, either while out on an errand or while out on 
business or just in the mood to drive around and find a few caches. No PDA 
cache info/printouts. Just coordinates in the GPS. Thats how I have been 
doing it for several months now.

Geocaching was fun for me then when I was doing it to attain #1 in the 
rankings and today, with no interest in numbers at all, it is still fun for 
me. It is perhaps a bit more fun today as I just pick and chose the caches 
that I want to go find.

Scott
Team Ropingthewind

>From: "Bill Nolan" <>

>An interesting comment.  I cannot disagree.  My wife and I have enjoyed
>geocaching for a long time now.  When we started, the top team in AZ was
>under 500 finds.  We found some aspects of the game to be overcompetitive,
>so we just don't log our finds.  For us, the fun is the search, and in the
>back country places the search takes us.  (We have never looked for or 
>found
>an "urban" cache.)  What we do is not better or worse than the way others
>play the game.  It is just different.  Some like the competition of being
>FTF on a cache.  Others like the numbers.  I am reminded of golf.  Some say
>it is a contest against yourself.  Can you play better than you have 
>before?
>Not me.  I prefered to beat the guys I was playing with.  For me, golf was 
>a
>very competitive game.  (I seldom actually beat the guys I was playing 
>with,
>but that's another story.)  Now, for those to whom the numbers are
>important, having a cache deleted for no good reason is a big deal.  Others
>couldn't care less.  Who's right?  Both, because they are playing the game
>for different reasons and with different goals.
>
>If you are having fun, then the way you are playing works for you.  If you
>aren't, go to the movies instead.  In fact, go to the movies in Willcox,
>where, by coincidence, I own the theater.
>
>Bill in Willcox.

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