Hike

Let’s go on an imaginary backpacking hike, remembering previous hikes, preparing for future hikes.

Each of us has been walking now for quite a long time, hiking various trails, over hills and mountains, exploring familiar and unfamiliar territories. We’ve met fellow hikers along the way. Some crossed our path only briefly; others shared with us long stretches of the trail.

Now we’ve come to a point in our walk where we will meet a few others who will walk alongside us for the next leg of our hike. We will be spending time together as we move along.

The night before we begin this segment of our trip, we sit around a campfire and take inventory of what each of us will be bringing to this hike. What do we expect we may need to take?  What are the necessary supplies? What do we simply want to take with us? Some comfort items, good luck tokens. Let’s make a list of what we will be bringing with us in our backpacks.

Now we’ve started on the trail, one foot in front of the other, one step followed by another step. We’re actually moving ahead. And we become aware of some enjoyable experiences: impressive views, intriguing sounds and scents, unique textures… And we feel good, satisfied as we are able to forge ahead in this adventure.

We make a rest stop for a few minutes. We stop to stretch and take note of the welcome things we’ve found, discovered, experienced along the way so far.

We’ve been hiking long enough to notice and experience some not-so-pleasant aspects of this long hike. We’ve met challenges to overcome, problems to solve, unexpected sensations, pain, a few accidents… Somehow, we don’t feel as good as when we started off, filled with energy, enthusiasm and optimism.

So, we stop again. And we review what have been some of the unwelcome experiences of this long, challenging hike. What has troubled us? Caused pain? Provoked fear? Made us doubt we could keep going and reach our destination?

We decide to rest a bit, refuel, and sit around the campfire again to plan the rest of our trip.

Having learned from our experiences before we started this particular hike and having shared good and bad times in our journey together, we agree to again check on what we have and what we need to complete the trip.

We realize we’ve run out of some things and we’re short of something else. We notice that we are going to need things we did not expect earlier on. What do we need from someone else, from fellow hikers, from the hike leaders, from the natural world?

We notice that we have more than we need of some supplies too. We have a surplus of certain supplies, enough of some things to give away. What do we have that we can share with fellow hikers, with the hike leaders, with the natural world?

And we do it. We exchange goods as we keep on walking.

Before we know it, we’re there. We can see a panoramic picture from the top of the mountain.

Time has passed. 

We made it.

 It’s time to celebrate.

Then we will start walking again.