Re: [at-l] Relationships and the AT

["Richard S. Lubitz" <lubitz@alpha.fdu.edu>]

When I got married 25+ years ago, I married a gal who thought that 
roughing it meant a Howard Johnson's instead of the Hilton.  To some
extent she is still that way.  I sublimated many of my interests such
as backpacking and fly fishing.  Keeping busy with a house, a practice
and small children, I did not miss them much.  As my daughters got older,
however, I realized that if I took them fishing, I could do so without
the guilt trip of abandoning the family.  In fact, my wife welcomed the 
freedom from the kids and "Daddy" was spending quality time with his
daughters.  It wasn't long before they became skilled enough to be left
to their own devices and I could get in some good fishing of my own just
up or down stream from them.  I got back into backpacking with my younger
daughter and my wife encourages it although time is limited.  Doing a thru
is still just a dream for me but my wife is becoming more accepting of the 
prospect of my doing some bigger sections.  Even though she has no interest
in hiking, and is now physically unable (but that's another story), she
recognizes that my hiking is not an abandonment of her.

I guess that I should consider myself lucky, like many others who had a
SO head up their support team despite no interest in participating.  Unless
the trail is a major part of your life, and all other activities are in support
of the trail habit, one can survive with a non hiking spouse if the other 
factors of a good marriage are present.

enough rambling

Rich
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