[at-l] Why I Like Hikers (One Reason)

[sloetoe at yahoo.com (Sloetoe)]

--- Jan Leitschuh <janl2@mindspring.com> wrote:

> There's also that underlying mutual respect, because
> you know what it cost in muscle and tendon fiber to
go from Point A to Point B with mountains in between.
### Huge. The Great Equalizer at work.
 
> But Shelley has a point. A high tolerance for
> numerous quirky individuals is noticeable among
trail folk.
### I think, per the previous, it is more The Great
Equalizer (of a mountain) than "tolerance" for
tolerance' sake. The Equalizer breeds respect, respect
begets the tolerance. (My opinion, anyway.)

> There is a funky Northern Exposure-esque aspect 
> to Trail folk - "EVERYone is somewhat nutty. So,
> what's your point?"
### Another great effect of Mountain Equalizer at
work. For and sure.

> I still think willingness to laugh is the glue. At
> the end of the day. 
> At oneself and with others. Our self-importance is
> the heaviest burden 
> we carry. When we laugh, don't we lay it down?
### I seriously don't think laughter is the key. I
DON'T know what is, but "our self-importance is the
heaviest burden we carry" is so right on. Laughter
surely lightens that load, but I self-examine too
seriously to laugh at myself (hiking-wise, anyway. I'm
a laugh riot when I think of myself in just about any
other terms...) Oooooo, it'd be a good lesson if I
could learn how I avoid or lighten my Hiker
Self-Importance burden -- maybe The Great Mountain
Equalizer has popped too many holes in that particular
balloon to have it ever inflate too much, eh? Nothing
like an inimate object, or an arbitrary footpath, or
two 11 year olds, or a big hairy-ass storm, to make
you feel soooooo small.

> I am very unlike most people I've hiked with. Yet,
> kindred spirits all the same.
### Now *there's* a statement ripe for analysis.

Ahhhhh shoe, ever the provocative one.