[at-l] Bill & Henri on the AT

[lorac4491 at linkamerica.net (Coosa)]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1614&dept_id=161058&newsid=10967568&PAG=461&rfi=9

Did any of you meet these two last year?  -----  Coosa

Pop-in visitors changes home life
 
  
FRANK M. SANDERS February 13, 2004 
  
Life at my house is not very exciting most of the time, but that situation can change on a moment's notice.
 

Just a few days ago about 3.30 in the afternoon our doorbell sounded and when Jean answered the door there stood Bill Neuman and one of his friends, Henri Aldunate. They were expectantly waiting there to be welcomed into our home.

Bill knows that the door is always open to him. We had not met Henri, but Bill, a long- time friend of the family, is no stranger around Tullahoma. He has spent considerable time with us since the '70s and has displayed his singing talents in some churches in the area.

Knowing that he had limited time to spend with us this time, we hurriedly called some of his friends who responded promptly. And very soon the house was full of joyful laughter. A bucket of the Colonel's best chicken arrived in due time, and we gathered around the table and enjoyed good food and reminisced for a couple of hours.

We listened as Bill told of his experiences as a missionary on the Appalachian Trail. And we listened as Henri got out his trail guitar and sang a few songs in his soft melodious voice. Henri was born in what was formally French West Africa and is fluent in three languages.

We met Bill in the 1970s when we were living in New Jersey and Bill was in high school. During that time he was studying music at the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City by the good graces of one of the senior members of his church. When he had finished his studies at the Met they offered him a job if he was willing to spend another five years in further study to build up his repertoire.

It seemed to me a great opportunity but he declined the offer. I was somewhat disappointed in him for it seemed to me that he had a brilliant future at the Met.

Bill chose instead to go into the ministry. He is now serving as a chaplain on the Appalachian Trail. He and his trail mate start the trek in the hill country in North Georgia as soon as the hikers are ready to brave the chilly days of March.

Then as spring moves north they move along with it and fall catches then in Maine on the northern end of the trail. I guess that is one way to enjoy a long spring, but it entails a lot of walking and a few pairs of shoes. The distance is about 2,000 miles and almost all in mountainous country.

They are very enthusiastic about the progress of the work and are reaching many hikers on a daily basis. It appears to be developing into a very effective ministry.

It seems a bit strange that although Bill was brought up in New York City, a genuine city boy, he loves life on the trail. He loves the nights spent snug in his sleeping bag out under the stars and cooking over an open fire. They wash their clothes by heating water, then dumping the hot water in a sturdy plastic bag along with soap and dirty clothes. They then slosh the water around a bit and after a rinse in clean water the job is done. Yes, Bubba, they do dry the clothes. They take a dim view of getting into wet clothes in the morning chill.

He says that this mode of doing the laundry is a fair substitute for a washing machine under such conditions. Sounds like a rough way to go to me, but when I was young I would have reveled in such things.

In my earlier years I had dreams of walking at least part of the trail, but I was a dreamer who thought that I couldn't take time off from my job to fulfill my dreams.

It appears that there are two kinds of people in the world: some are content to dream and never take action and the other kind get going and make their dreams happen.

This reminds me of Kipling's poem "If" where he wrote: "If you can dream and not make dreams your master, if you can think and not make thoughts your aim. if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same..."

It seems to me as I look back on my life that I have had trouble taking the action needed to fulfill my dreams. But then again I have no valid basis upon which to judge my own performance so I'll just have to wait and see what the Great Judge says.

It's sad to note that at the age of 86 my life is essentially lived and there is no way to go back and fix my many mistakes. I can only plead mercy. 

 
©The Tullahoma News 2004