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[at-l] philosophy
Mike H. - you said it well.
When I was on the John Muir Trail in '90, after my AT thruhike in '88, I
met a man whose life seemed idyllic. In summers he hiked, in winters he
worked at a ski resort (and skied) to get the money for his summers. It
sounded great. Then I started thinking about it, and I realized that it
would not do for me. It was ultimately a totally selfish life. As much
as I love the long distance hiking, I need more. I need to give too,
and not just take forever. I need deeper interactions with people than
you can get in passing on the trail, I need to feel like I have
something to offer the world which is of value. So, like Mike, I try to
give back to the trail and the world with volunteer work (trail building
and maintenance mostly right now) and doing my best at work and in being
a good partner to my husband. There are times when selfishness is
necessary for survival and growth, but there comes a time when it is
necessary, for me at least, to give back. Every thru-hike ends
eventually - then it is time to put into action the lessons learned.
Spiritwalker
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