When I was a girl, I spent endless summers at the beach. Looking back as an adult I know we didn't go every day, but it sure felt that way. One memory of that time keeps coming back to me as I hike along. As I remember it, as we left the beach one beautiful afternoon, I found a full pack of Wrigley's gum in the parking lot. As a kid with a $2 per week allowance, this was a significant find. I also knew that in general, one does not pick up packs of gum from parking lots, and that if my mom found out she would take it from me. I managed to play it cool until about halfway home when I couldn't resist anymore and completely unsubtly popped a piece in my mouth. I'm sure you can imagine the follow-up: tattling sister, car pulled over, gum relinquished.
The reason I keep returning to that memory is because these days, whenever I find a cooler left on the side of the road, I open it, and I unquestioningly eat whatever I find inside. Remember the saying our parents drilled into our heads: don't take candy from strangers? These days, not only do I take candy from strangers, but I also take soda and hot dogs and cookies and beer. Two weeks ago I ran 0.4 miles back down the trail because I realized that I had missed a cupcake sitting in an incredibly sketchy container. It was delicious, and at no time did I second guess the intentions of the person who left it there.
I love it that right now I'm living in an environment where this lack of fear is the norm. I hope that this beautiful sense of optimism about people and their intentions is something I keep when I have completed the trail.
The reason I keep returning to that memory is because these days, whenever I find a cooler left on the side of the road, I open it, and I unquestioningly eat whatever I find inside. Remember the saying our parents drilled into our heads: don't take candy from strangers? These days, not only do I take candy from strangers, but I also take soda and hot dogs and cookies and beer. Two weeks ago I ran 0.4 miles back down the trail because I realized that I had missed a cupcake sitting in an incredibly sketchy container. It was delicious, and at no time did I second guess the intentions of the person who left it there.
I love it that right now I'm living in an environment where this lack of fear is the norm. I hope that this beautiful sense of optimism about people and their intentions is something I keep when I have completed the trail.
Glad you're having a great hike, Bree.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about your sentiments regarding trail magic. It kicked in for me, often, just when I needed it most.
One thing I will note: beware the closer the trail gets to large populations. I had more trepidations as the trail became easier to find for large groups of people. Up north, in NY, the trail is 35 miles from Manhattan, which you can see on a clear day from some mountain I can't remember right now. In fact, the trail crosses a commuter train line going to NYC.
Thanks for the blog. I enjoy reading about your exploits.
Its a beautiful Blog and I enjoy reading it and following you,
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