Re: [at-l] look at me stunts and Goose Creek,etc

> In a message dated 12/29/00 8:20:00 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> OIdMaster@aol.com writes:
>
> << Forgive me for being judgmental, but if ever someone did the AT as a
"hey
>  look at me stunt" it was this gentleman. >>
>
> (No forgiveness necessary, I'd say.)
>
> That brings up something related that I was thinking about the other day.
> This is my post-thru-hike adjustment time still going on.
> Sometimes...often...I don't feel like it's been all THAT much of an
> adjustment for me, but occasionally something just...I don't know...hits
me,
> and I stand wherever I am like a zombie thinking about the trail, how it
> affected me, little details--the minutiae--that suddenly pop into my head
and
> I smile remembering. ANYWAY, as far as "hey, look at me" stuff...I'm
really
> almost surprised at myself. I would have thought, pre-thru-hike, that I'd
> finish and want to say, "Hey world!! Guess what I did!!"  I mean, I do
feel
> really good about it. There were a lot of personal victories for me out
> there, fears I had to face, challenges I overcame, and I really found out
> that I'm made of some tough stuff (or whatever you want to call it). Thing
> is, though, I find that--aside from others who've also thru-hiked and
those
> planning to go--I don't talk about it much. I find that there's little to
NO
> satisfaction in that for me. I find I don't even WANT to bring it up
> sometimes or give rather brief, sincerely humble answers when people ask
> about my hike and even sometimes "gush" over it. It's hit home to me how
> personal of a thing it really was...how much it deeply meant to me. I have
a
> hard time relating to people that are of the "hey, look at me stunt" frame
of
> mind. I think I'm pretty tolerant, though...I mean, if that makes them
feel
> good and they really wanted to find some "trick" to make their hike
> "different" to people looking at them (i.e. carrying a tuba--mind you, I
> don't know the guy at ALL--or going for speed or something), well, that's
> their thing, and I don't care all that much.  Well, OK, maybe I roll my
eyes
> at it or shake my head a little, but whatever.  But that is so NOT how I
feel
> about my hike. It's mine. I own it. I own the experience and the memories
and
> everything I take from it for the rest of my life that, in some ways, are
> hard to explain to people. Anyway...just sharing.
>
SNIP

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