Re: [at-l] Zen of the trail {Was: look at me stunts and Goose Creek,etc}

Yes, every decision is a rationalization among desires and priorities.
By making the decision to make a date and hike, you put yourself into a
transition from pre-hike Dawn to belcher to post-hike Dawn. You have
new bills, priorities, career plans, etc. 

The decision to hike is a selfish one. It is an experience that no one
else in your life will be able to share, except in a peripheral
fashion. You make choices to give up many responsibilities - including
the job, pets, bills, and relationships. You do this with a vague
notion of what will come from the experience and what you would feel if
you missed the experience. 

Our life experiences are different. Each has areas of being richer and
sadder. Each of us experiences that "grass is greener" feeling a few
times a day. I wish I had walked the AT in 73 between college and med
school - but I probably would have missed med school, marriage, and my
current career. On the balance of things, the choice I've made is
pretty good. My wife and girls often think I am insane or foolish for
the hike. Yet I know the sections and hope of a thru make it possible
to maintain my responsibilities to them, my patients, and myself.
Certainly, I fear failure. I also embrace failure as it shows that I
tried to do something that was difficult and adventurous.

Hopefully, the priorities will maintain a balance, and my hike will be
a success - whether it is 2167 miles or 2 miles. I suspect your
priorities are also balancing, as you juggle the decisions over career,
relationships, the trail, bills, and such. BTW, any gear in your yard
sale?

Bill....
 
--- Dawn Stringer <stringdm@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> i have a feeling, and this may be an elitist feeling because i've
> experienced the freedom of a thru-hike, but I have a feeling that
> people
> keep themselves tied down to these things because they are afraid to
> let go.
> maybe it's a fear of failure.  that's why people make excuses and
> then give
> them euphemisms like "priorities."


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online!
http://photos.yahoo.com/
* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================
To:            "Mara Factor" <m_factor@hotmail.com>, <FLATers@webtv.net>, <OIdMaster@aol.com>
Cc:            <list-aldha@netword.com>, <at-l@backcountry.net>