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

eeeerrr!!!, Could you please repeat that!??

>From: Ramkitten@aol.com
>To: at-l@backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [at-l] look at me stunts and Goose Creek,etc
>Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 09:03:18 EST
>
>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
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