I spent this past week in the mountains of western North Carolina, completing a teaching seminar. When I wasn’t working, I was wandering outside. The first few days, replete with lots of sunshine and twittering birds, won accolades from my compatriots. My favorite time, though, was midweek, when the rain appeared.
The soft mist that morning transitioned into a harder downpour in the afternoon, one that beckoned for a walk. So I donned my jacket, walked along the berm, and stepped onto the short trail. I hiked the steep path, watching for the roots slippery with rain, shortening my stride on the steep sides of the hill. Not too long, this path was nonetheless more than I’ve seen in several months. It traced a squiggle, up and down the bowl-side of the hills. White and purple wildflowers were just starting to push through. The trees, their branches blurred with possibility of new growth, crossed their stark fingers overhead, but I could still see the far side of the valley, torn swatches of clouds hovering over clefts in the hills.
The short, short hike echoed other trips I’ve taken: challenging runs along trails, where I commanded myself to push one foot ahead, one foot ahead, one foot ahead; hand-in-hand strolls with my wife, where we laughed and talked so much that we lost our way; excursions of wonder and tears with my daughters where we balanced fascination with flora and fauna against the limitations of young legs. So even though I finished the hike in fifteen minutes, I was actually walking a multiplicity of trails, experiencing an accordion collection of days.
By stepping on the trail, I stepped outside my immediate life. Sometimes, we all need a little distance.
Robin Follet lives, writes, and cartoons in North Carolina.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
April 20th, 2010 at 7:48 am
Я извиняюсь, но, по-моему, Вы допускаете ошибку. Могу это доказать. Пишите мне в PM, пообщаемся.
I spent this past week in the mountains of western North Carolina, completing a teaching seminar. When I wasn’t working, I was wandering outside..
May 19th, 2010 at 2:01 am
Я извиняюсь, но, по-моему, Вы ошибаетесь. Давайте обсудим это. Пишите мне в PM.
furtherfitness..
August 31st, 2010 at 10:20 am
Creation site Brest
We tailor web sites to your needs…