[at-l] a sobo remembers...the question

[saunterer@jimbullard.org (saunterer@jimbullard.org)]

At 08:00 AM 3/31/02 -0600, South Walker wrote:
>The Question
>
>The syntax, tone and emotion with which the question was asked varied 
>almost as much as the people who posed the question but the meaning was 
>clear: "Why are you doing this hike?"

I've asked myself that question many times.  Since the first blush of being 
enamored with the idea of hiking the AT I have had periods when reason 
counters my passion with thoughts of; 'Why do you want to walk over 2000 
miles?  Are you crazy'.  'Why do you want to get wet and cold day after 
day? You have a perfectly good house'.  My brain's arguments go on and 
on.  But my heart keeps coming back with images of good days walking along 
ridges and balds with the sun beating down and the wind blowing through my 
hair (what's left of it), standing by waterfalls or quietly walking through 
woodlands.  Although I'm getting more uneasy as I get closer to retirement 
and the possibility of actually trying it (probably as a sequence of 4-6 
week segments) I fully expect that my heart will win over my head.

sAunTerer