From instant dislike, to more to compassion to service

Correction: thanks to a couple folks reading the blog: remember Scott Jurek?

Well actually Chris McDougal wrote Born to Run. Scott was a primary character. Scott went on to write his own book Eat and Run. Story of his life as a vegan athlete. Thank you Brian and Ms McDougal (no relation) who also read Born to Run.

Welcoming sign huh?

In this next pic, if you look real close, waaaayyyy up on the far right side, way off in the distance, almost out of view, you may need to expand the pic if ur able cuz she is juuuuuust about to clear the frame........ Laura Ingalls riding the horse drawn carriage.

See her?

I wonder if the spider wakes up and says, "well, guess I gotta work on that section up there today." I don't really wonder that but I do wonder if they think. There's these lil black spiders that are like totally fearless when provoked, they won't back up but confront like a crab. I will get you a pic. Nobody answered the riddle: what's the last thing that goes a bug's mind when it hits your windshield or my shades?

 It's butt.

Anyway here's this guy:

So I don't have his pic but I have a story regarding the prayer coins that I think of often. It happened several weeks ago. I'm coming down the trail on a decent manageable grade on a smooth trail. Like this:

Nothin serious just la la la got my earbuds in listening to a book or music. By this time I have a regular and frequent habit of peaking behind in case I need to pull over to let a faster hiker pass. In this case tho a guy suddenly and kind of on the rude side says "COMIN THRU"!. Okay no need to be that guy dude. 5 minutes later I'm at the bottom (a gap) and a friend Steve/Inspiration is sitting there. We were real glad to see each other since we hadn't since the GA/NC border. The nasty guy is there fidgeting around his pack. While I'm standing there catching up with Steve, rude man looks up at me and interrupts with "you got a cigarette?" Strike 2 "No, I don't smoke". As I return to catch up doesn't the guy actually pull out of his pack the stuff to roll his own which he does right in front of me? Strike 3. My girls and I have a name especially just for guys just like this. By this time his girlfriend who is actually quite pleasant with a Europian accent arrives and says hello with a nice smile. 

Well it's about 1pm and I know I want to climb this hill and chill at a shelter about an hour away to eat, water and privy. I head off and get there around 2. Drop the pack, start boiling water etc and deposit 3 prayer coins in 3 diff spots in the shelter.

At 230 the guy shows up with girl friend right behind. Barely taking his pack off he starts scouring the shelter and grounds searching, wiry and frenetically. There was a waist high bench centered in the shelter and between the log book (every shelter has one) and a roach (marijuana) I had placed a coin. And as always the scripture "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" is face up. He grabs the roach. As he turns he sees another coin in the corner at the same time as his girlfriend. She asks what it is as he picks it up, looks at it and throws it down dismissively  saying "some church thing."

He says, "at least I found this" referring to the roach as he continues looking on the ground around the fire pit. He's looking for cigarette butts. He finally sits down. A few minutes later he says "I'm not doing so good today, my stomach's not right".

Then it hits me like a 2x4 to the forehead, I realize, as clear as day, he's in recovery, deep in it. He's trying to recover. No wonder his girlfriend is so patient with this rude, scattered, struggling man, thin, gaunt, tensed and strained. Compassion floods in while I learn yet again another lesson I've been taught so many times, about judging. 

(See the coin atop the cut sapling on the far right?)

Well that episode ends, we go our separate ways as I marvel at what he saw and didn't see wondering if what he read will somehow stick. 

It had to be about two weeks later, I'm tenting behind Woodchucks Hostel in Damascus. It's morning and I got in the afternoon before and was going to leave around 1pm so had no rush to eat breakfast and pull stuff together etc. There's about 15 people staying either in the house or tents and most it seems are in my relaxed take it easy mood. Boom, this guys girlfriend rounds the corner. A few minutes later don't I find myself outside  sitting next to and taking with the guy. He's telling me he doesn't know what he's gonna do after the trail, he has a lot of knowledge and experience with wine, likes the hospitality industry, could wind up in Canada or back in Taiwan. As I start to describe the Berkshires, all the NY money that sustains it on the weekends, the resorts etc, don't his eyes start lighting up. As the conversation continues and he becomes increasingly engaged I can see again my change from dislike, to more, to compassion, to "how can I help".

As I already did with two others knowing those in their lives struggling mightily against horrible addiction (both heroin), if you know of one who might benefit from time in another wilderness I am more than open. I'm also confident all gear needs and support would be provided, by the great physician thru His children.

Perspective

Perspective is a choice.