[pct-l] hiker trash

[Charles Doersch]

Has anyone seen the film _Dogville_? It might relate, I think, to this
question of some folks taking advantage of generosity and grace. I teach at
the university, and an important challenge each year with my freshmen is
teaching my students that as young adults they now live in a world where
there are consequences. One way I can do that for them as a professor is to
hold them accountable and not shelter them from the consequences of their
behavior. I notice how little understanding some of my students have of
consequences. They want to be treated as adults -- until they want to be
"taken care of." No, I say, you can't have it both ways. Grace is
reciprocal.

I also recognize that as they pass through university, the best of them come
to respect those who hold them accountable for their achievement, their
successes, and for their failures. Some people just don't respect a kind and
caring heart.

I rather think the trail community hasn't "created" or fostered young men
who don't have common courtesy -- perhaps, among the many grateful, gracious
hikers on the PCT, there will inevitably and always be some who are
attracted to folks who dole out goodies, and take advantage, as long as
there are no consequences. So yes, PCT Mom, some of these guys and gals
would indeed be (and are) slobs in their parents' homes. If they can get
away with it.

But, since I'm still a PCT virgin (2012 here we come), I have no
constructive or practical insight, I think, on how there can be
consequences. The PCT trail culture is still something I have only read
about.

~Charles & the gang.

On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 4:25 PM, <jomike at cot.net> wrote:

> You wouldn't be a slob in your
> Mom's or Gramma's house. Don't do it out here.
>
> PCT MOM
> ---------------------------------------------
>
> You're more of an optimist than I about this issue...I believe they would
> be just as inappropriate, by our standards, at their family's homes. I think
> "we", the trail community at large, have created mainly young men who do
> feel they are some how above what we'd call common courtesy. There is
> absolutely no denying that they will have accomplished something very few
> people can/will do, none-the-less, it exempts them from nothing. They should
> not feel exempt from trail work, thank you, LNT ethics, and to simply
> cleaning up after themselves.
>
> E-gads, I'm sounding old! (but I believe accurate)
>
> are we there yet
>
>
> ...going to the mountains is going home.
>
> John Muir
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