Walking the blues away, part 3.
I am enjoying
the walks more and more as the weather heats up, and the opportunity to walk in
less urban places grows. For
Easter we visited our kids in Tennessee, and walked in the mountains. It was wonderful to step on springy soil
instead of asphalt. A few weeks
later my parents and I walked along the beach, watching the waves and dolphins,
and counting the rotations of the lighthouse. Both times the feeling of the heat and sun on my skin, as
well as the exercise lifted my spirits. Walking is truly a tool in the battle
against the blues, not the only one, and perhaps not the best one for every
person, but the perfect one for me.
Sometimes, I don’t even have to be the person walking to
receive the benefits. I am reading the book “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed, a true
account of one woman hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Many of these hikers begin their trip woefully
underprepared. They think they
know what to expect, but the reality of a through hike is usually
different. Most novices on the
trail stuff too many items into their backpacks, and struggle with the extra
heavy weight. The hike is harder
than ever expected and yet rewards the hiker with unexpected beauty. Sometimes many things go wrong all at
once, leaving the hiker to wonder if she can continue even one day more. Blisters on the feet, sores on the body
where the overly heavy backpack rubs the skin raw, running out of water,
running into wildlife, all sorts of challenges present themselves. At each problem, the hiker has a choice
in how to react. He can be
overwhelmed, can panic or become angry, or the hiker can rise to the challenge
and plow through.
Of course this makes wonderful metaphors for every day
life. While reading “Wild” I found
myself making comparisons between the writers hapless adventures and my recent
left turns in life. When she lost
her only boots in the middle of a section of trail, she had no choice but to be
resourceful, find a way to protect her feet, and move on. She had over 100 miles to go before she
could get off the trail and replace those boots, and all she had were a pair of
cheap broken sandals. I
can’t even imagine how it felt to see her boot fly off over the side of a
mountain. I felt vulnerable and
unprotected for her. There are
times in life when I think I just can’t go on. There is nothing I can do. Perhaps, like Cheryl, I will have to pull out the duct tape
and just press on.
Keep moving, never give up, and enjoy the journey. Sometimes though, the journey
isn’t pleasant, and we have to keep an eye on the goal, the reason and why. One thing I have learned from all these many hiking books is
that it isn’t always the seasoned hiker or nature lover that finishes. It is the person that has set their
mind to the task, has the desire to persevere and is willing to keep moving
forward despite the obstacles.
The Pacific Crest Trail runs from the border with Mexico
to our border with Canada, covering 2,650 miles. This long distance trail covers all types of terrain, from deserts
and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to quiet woods. Hikers walk across California, Oregon and Washington. Right now a couple of soldiers are
hiking the trail as a way of transitioning from war to civilian life. Groups of hikers are on the PCT, and
other hikers are on the Appalachian Trail. This is true
hiking therapy.
I can’t wait for the day I can hike along parts of this
trail, but until then, I can enjoy books, blogs and reports of other
hikers.
For more information on the Pacific Crest Trail click on the link below. Happy Hiking!
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